Richmond Paper - The Great Oil-Well Near Beaumont, Texas (Discussion, 1029)

Certain geological indications at Glady's station, four miles south of Beaumont, on the Sabine and East Texas railway (a branch of the Southern Pacific) induced me to undertake a thorough test of that locality by means of a well. I had been making reconnoissances for nearly two years in that part of Texas, before deciding upon this supreme effort. Three previous attempts had been made in the same place: one in 1894 by Messrs. Sharp & Co.; one in 1896 by Mr. J. Looney; and one in 1898 by Messrs. Savage Bros. They had all failed to pass though the immense thickness (500 ft.) of quicksand which underlies the surface soil, clay, etc. At first, I employed the system of boring which I had previously used in the Louisiana salt-deposits.* But I soon found that this method was inadequate, without modification, to deal with the quicksand. Accordingly, I adopted the use of large and heavy castings, and pipes of 12, 10, 8, 6 and 4 in. diameter, successively telescoped one into the other. Boring was begun by Messrs. Hamill Bros., of Corsicana, contractors, about the middle of October, 1900; and on January 10,1901, after many difficulties, a layer of rock containing marine shells was reached, at the depth of 1160 ft. For 150 ft. immediately above, the drill had passed through layers of sandstone and concretions of limestone. At this time there was about 600 ft. of 4-in. pipe, weighing at least 6 tons, in the well; and this, together with the next (6-in.) casing above, was filled with water. When the rock was penetrated the well " blew out," lifting the whole of the 4in. pipe. Mr. Hamill was on the top of the 60-ft. derrick when