1866.] 227 [Lesley. 



Mr. Lesley read extracts from letters respecting the dis- 

 covery of oil on the Alleghany River at Brady's Bend, seventy 

 miles above Pittsburg, and twenty miles below Franklin in 

 Venango County, and exliibited a suite of specimens of the 

 strata bored through, and the oil obtained. 



The place of the Brady's Bend boring is shown in Plate 2 of this 

 Volume of the Proceedings, and its relations to the Venango County 

 Oil Sand Rocks described on pages 56, 57 above. A careful calcu- 

 lation, based upon observations at the locality in the spring of 1865, 

 when the well was commenced, gave 700, 900 and 1100 feet for the 

 respective depths of the three Venango County Oil Sand Rocks (if 

 they extended so far as Brady's Bend) beneath the level of the river. 



The depth of 700 feet was, however, reached and passed with no 

 show of oil. The first sand rock therefore seemed to be absent be- 

 neath the Brady's Bend locality, or to be destitute of petroleum. 



But at 940 feet oil was struck, and with a strong pressure of gas, 

 January 3d, 1866. The bottles show that, from 908 to 1015, all the 

 borings came up stained more or less with oil. 



At a depth of 1015 feet the borings became clear again, and the 

 well was stopped at 1089 feet. Seed bags at 381"6 and 425. 



Pumping was resorted to and the well produced 25 barrels in 12 

 hours. It is now reported yielding regularly 12 barrels per day. 

 ''The crude oil will burn in a lamp as beautifully as refined oil does, 

 and will continue to do so until the entire contents of the lamp is 

 exhausted." (May 4th, reports 6 barrels per day.) 



Whether this oil comes from the second or from the third horizon 

 I do not know ; but I suppose the latter. I judge that the oil-shows 

 from 908 to 1015 came from the second horizon at say 900 feet, and 

 that the present depth of 1089 feet marks with surprising accuracy 

 the 1100 foot horizon of the Third or Great Venango Oil Bearing 

 Sand Rock. 



Having impressed upon the owners the utility of accurate records 

 of the boring of this pioneer well, I have had the happiness to receive 

 61 bottles of borings, giving the appearance and condition of the 

 strata from a depth of 142 feet (above which no record was kept) to 

 the bottom of the well. From these bottles the following section has 

 been prepared : 



1. Sandstone ; not very coarse ; rising in pieces; yellowish ; at 142 feet. 



2. '• " finer, orange, 22 to 164 



3. " " finer, reddish orange, 4 to 168 

 VOL. X. — 2e 



