STATE GEOLOGIST. 301 
man hauled many barrels to Warren 12 miles distant, where it was finally 
sold for storage. Refineries were built that used not only the local 
production, but also some from Oil Creek, which was hauled in wagons. 
The refineries, however, were short lived and so played a small part in 
the history of the field. Work was brought practically to a standstill in 
1861 by the opening of the civil war, many of the drillers abandoning their 
machines and entering the army. 
Sometime between 1861-5 an attempt was made to secure the oil in 
an unique way; this consisted of shafts and tunnels. Three of the former 
were sunk, and when the Berea grit had been penetrated a few feet, tun- 
neling began. To the east a small valley existed, and the plan was to ex- 
tend the tunnel until it intersected the valley. Then it was expected that 
the oil would flow from the rock through the tunnel. The plan, however, 
was never completed. About 20 years later another attempt was made at 
tunnel construction. A shaft was sunk to a depth of 52 feet, and a tunnel 
was excavated from this 32 feet to the east and 30 to the west. After 
spending a small fortune in the foolish enterprise it was abandoned. 
Soon after the close of the war work was renewed, and drilling be- 
came quite active. The neighboring townships of Mesopotamia, Bristol 
and Green were tested, the result being a few producing wells in each. 
The oil was a lubricator and most of it was shipped to Pittsburg, Cleve- 
land and adjacent places. It commanded usually from 60 to 75 cents per 
gallon, but the price is reported to have risen to $1.25. 
About the year 1878 active drilling in the field began for the third 
time, and tests were made in the surrounding townships, but the excite- 
ment lasted a few months only and then the drillers left the field. Much 
of the territory had been drilled before, and consequently the wells were 
small. Since that time an occasional well has been drilled. The Cowdery 
farm is still the best producer, but even here none of the wells are pumped 
regularly. 
_ The early wells were drilled wholly by spring-pole. Instead of der- 
ricks three poles were set up. About 1870 steam began to be used, but 
the power was simply attached to the spring-pole. When drilling in the 
field began for the third time more modern methods were introduced. Der- . 
ricks from 30 to 40 feet high were constructed, and the tools and power 
such as might have been found in other shallow territory at that time. By 
such methods a well could be drilled in two days of 12 hours each. 
The oil is derived from the Berea grit which lies immediately below 
the glacial drift. At West Mecca the formation is 80 feet thick, and con- 
sists of beds of sand with an occasional intercalated bed of shale. Near 
Mecca two pay-rocks are found, one at 30 feet, and the other at about twice 
that depth. The lower sand is the larger producer, and the quality of oil 
is said to be similar in the two. The wells are not cased; the water being 
- excluded by the primitive seed-bag, which served so useful a purpose in 
