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*•The Kanawha Valley as an Oil. Region. ...„Ue to a wall oil .l,.5f«rt»lof(Mr. UM«,xilluui.'oo 111* rigftl.forii.of X*.pp«;« Crr«~ a tributary of Pocaulico River, about one mile above in junction with the left fork. After hearing Mrs. Milam's statement in .. regard to the character of die water, 1 rvqucatcd‘her to try another experiment: To boil the water, and let it stand until the agitation caused by boiling should cease; then to eprcad on the eurf.ee a white sheet of paper. I understood from her, that she nad tried the experiment, aud found, on withdrawing the paper, that it was quite transparent; sod on touching it to the fire, while it was still wet. the tiurac spread over and consumed the sheet almost insUully.The above well, I think, is only eighteenc i»-ia,: feet deep.I Ou the left fork of Pocstalico, adjoining the turnpike to Ripley, about five miles beyond Sissontiile, a well was dug come years ago. ou the farm of Mr. Reuben llurrison; and T upon the surface of the water there arose an oily substance, in the language of Mr. Harrison,-11 «s thick os a knife-blade, which glistened in the sun, and was so very offensive to the ustc ami smell that the well had to be filled up. This well wa* only about thirteen feet deep.About fifty yards from the well, near the margin of the stream, an oily substance was i observed ooring out of tho-gr-und. Mr. Harrison was advised, by persons having some acquaintance with the oil business, to sink n gum at this spot; his boys did so, putting the gum down about four feet in the c..nb, when quite u quantity of the oil arose upou the sur-1 0 face--about as much us had been discovered . hn.upon the well.The farm upon which Diocletian Martin rceidcs, on tho right fork of Poeaialico, between four and five miles from SiHSonville, sotiio years ago was occupied by George S. Miller, who dug a well near the foot of the hill above tho house (I forget the depth of this well, but it was shallow); mid wluit is now supposed to liuvc been oil, arose in such a quantity that it was impossible to uso the water, aud the smell was no offensive that it could not bo endured even by those iii the house; and to abate tht nuisance, this well was filled up, and another dug in a different place, where good frc6h water was found.J. C. W.
Newspaper Details
Charleston West Virginia Journal
Charleston, West Virginia, US
Wed, Jan 25, 1865
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 15 Jan 2024
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