372 F. H. OLIPHANT 



Kentucky, and elsewhere in this country and in Europe, there 

 were refineries or distiUing plants endeavoring to supply the 

 demand for an efficient and cheaper Ughting oil. The high 

 price, however, prevented its universal introduction. The 

 tallow candle was almost the universal source of artificial 

 light before the great natural deposits of petroleum were 

 known. 



The earliest records of the travelers who first penetrated 

 the wilderness of southwestern New York, northwestern Penn- 

 sylvania, southeastern Ohio, and south central Kentucky 

 mention the existence of petroleum and natural gas; and the 

 early explorers were guided to these localities by the Indians, 

 who regarded the phenomena with religious superstition. On 

 Oil creek, Pa., there were a number of localities where globules 

 of petroleum and bubbles of natural gas constantly came to 

 the surface of the water. The remains of pits that were crib- 

 bed in a crude manner were noted by the early explorers in 

 numerous localities, extending from the mouth of Oil creek 

 to Titusville. 



From 1848 to 1856 Mr. Samuel M. Kier, of Tarentum, 

 Pa., bottled the petroleum obtained from his salt well and 

 sold it under the name of Seneca oil, which name it acquired 

 from the Seneca Indians in New York state, who were early 

 acquainted with its medicinal virtues. The partial refining 

 of the petroleum found in the salt brine wells at Tarentum 

 was accomplished by Mr. Kier about the year 1857. Owing 

 to the rude method of refining and the poorlj^ constructed 

 lamps of that day there were many bitter complaints of the 

 odor and smoke of the new illuminating oil when it was first 

 tried. 



In 1856, after many failures, a plant at Freeport succeeded 

 in producing an oil that burned with a bright light and was 

 free from odor and smoke. Its introduction was accompanied 

 with difficulty, owing to the dangerous and highly explosive 

 burning fluid that was at that time in use. At this period 

 there were also cannel coal distilling plants at Darlington, 

 Beaver county. Pa., Canfield, Mahoning county, Ohio; Cannel- 

 ton, W. Va., and Cloverport and Maysville, Ky. In Massa- 

 chusetts parties who had formerty been engaged in the manu- 



