THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY OF CANADA 



After operations had gone on for some time at 

 Petrolia, it was discovered that there was a richer and 

 shallow^er pool a few miles away, at Oil Springs, and the 

 original fields were deserted in the general rush for the 

 new field. The first flowing well was struck on the 19th 

 of Feb., 1862, when Jas. Shaw, Esq., of Oil Springs, found 

 oil at a depth of 160 feet in what is now known as the 

 Upper Vein. The well flowed 3,000 barrels per da}^ some 

 of those struck a short while later flowed as high as 7,500 

 barrels per da^^ 



The production of oil became tremendous and the 

 price dropped from $10.00 per barrel to 20 cents. There 

 was as yet little market for the oil, and no means of storing 

 it, while new wells were being drilled every day, flowing 

 thousands of barrels of oil. The whole district became 

 soaked in oil which floated down Bear Creek by the 

 millions of barrels, until the creek was inches thick with 

 the precious fluid. Finally the oil caught fire and for 

 miles it burned with inconceivable fury. It is estimated 

 that in this fire at least 5,000,000 of barrels were consumed, 

 the fire lasting for days. The oil flowed down to the 

 mouth of the river and was noticed on the navigable 

 portions of the Sydenham River, where vessels were 

 smothered with the tarry mess. 



Nothing, however, could stop the speculative fury. 

 Drilling went on undisturbed, properties changed hands at 

 fabulous sums, and on all sides the most extraordinary 

 activity was manifest. Speculators flocked in and it was 

 not long before several small refineries were built, which 

 gave some small outlet for the immense production, despite 

 the fact that there was not a railroad within miles and the 

 oil had to be teamed out. 



Fortunes were made one day and lost the next, and 

 there was all the ups and downs of a typical mining camp. 

 The population of Oil Springs grew to nearly 10,000, and 

 there seemed no limit to the wealth. As an example, one 



