The story of Pittsburgh: Petroleum and natural gas : in two parts

Petroleum and natural gas : in two parts (Vol. 1, nr. 10)

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Multivolume work

Identifikator:: 1831622599

Document type:: Multivolume work

Title:: The story of Pittsburgh

Place of publication:: Pittsburgh

Publisher:: First National Bank

Year of publication:: 1919-1930

Collection:: Economics Books

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Volume

Identifikator:: 1831623455

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-239811

Document type:: Volume

Title:: Petroleum and natural gas : in two parts

Volume count:: Vol. 1, nr. 10

Place of publication:: Pittsburgh

Publisher:: First National Bank

Year of publication:: 1923

Scope:: [ca. 24] Seiten

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Multivolume work

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Petroleum and Natural Gas

Collection:: Economics Books

The Story of Pittsburgh Petroleum and Natural Gas HE first oil well ever drilled in the United States was the celebrated Drake well, which began producing petroleum in August, 1859, at the very shallow depth of 6914 feet. Accounts differ as to exact day in August when this momentous event took place. Various books of reference give the date as August 28 and 29, but the man who did the actual work of drilling the well says it was on August 12, that the precious fluid rose to the surface. The driller was William A. Smith, familiarly known as “Uncle Billy Smith,” and we are indebted to “The Derrick’s Hand- book of Petroleum” for an interesting account of an interview which an Oil City Derrick correspondent had with Mr. Smith in the summer of 1889. Mr. Smith was then living on a farm in Butler County, Pa., nearly five miles from a railroad or postoffice, on the banks of Rough Run. He was then in his 78th year, and had been engaged in drilling wells for water for years before the search for oil. “I began drilling first in 1828,” he said, “and made the first set of jars that ever were used; used them at Freeport in 1830. I made the first temper screw, and the first joints ever used in a drilling set. Before these improve- ments it took six to seven years to drill a well 600 feet deep. With these improvements such a well could be put down in three months. Sam Kier’s father had all his work done by me. They carried on salt works. If they lost any tools I did the fishing. Have invented and made more fishing tools than any other man in Pennsylvania.” It may be well to explain that this “fishing” was the search for such drilling tools as got loose from the machinery and were lost in the hole. Naturally after such an accident the

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