Deseret Evening News | 1904-12-17 | Page 23 | Occurrence of Oil and Asphaltum Along the Shores of Great Salt Lake

of OIL and ASPHALTUM ALONG the he t SHORES of GREAT SALT LAItE ON the tho Ogden metal DON D whoso whose knowledge of ot mineralogy of at this and other western states is l to bo be boti ti has bias given hn considerable time timet t to ins rl study stud of or the tho occurrence of ot tho lie liefl fl oil all deposits de on the north end cud ell ellIt et It h he Great Groat Salt Lake LakeI I confesses that tho the problem Is II ono one onoe e Cf the Ille he most lt ho has line over oer under l t n 1 to figure out Inasmuch na as there theres s hardly a II thread to loath load him Into tv t IMd ot of true discovery dl Tho The pres t 1 of ot f natural gas gaR near Salt bult Lake City r I j aa as f far r north as aa City In r p raider elder county count gave g ite vo reasons for tor the tho t 0 rf f t In the tho existence of ot oil all anti and ns as asI folium I tum throughout o time the region men mend ment t Ad d but direct of ot the pres prea preat 1 t of o either Dither had not been found 1 I an article furnished the tho Mining l I 1 lew IW aw recently Mr Ir Maguiro declared 1 t J I the he formation of ot tho the great reut basin of V llah itah h tIle the and r lie he Wasatch rouge range are not nol tv If Ir taken In the tho grand f fate especially I when considered n 0 they hey y present themselves to tho the ens cas tc In III tho the northern part of at tt ta K e The faulting from the lie north t V auth that formed the tho remains Ir does docs not In III Its It II exposed present a 11 hopeful pros prose Pm f I of ot finding oil In III this region and WM WU only My from formations Ion Ionic sub itt that wo we might hope hOllO to find coveted treasures OF OI AREA t tIn In considering tho the vastness of ot tho the area In the great basin buln the mind Is III confronted with the likelihood of ot grout gloat depth amid In tn the depths the probe proba probability of at tho the existence of or the hydrocarbons bone bons the thA sItuation favored their presence and after aCler four tour months Investigation the tho green sandstone of ot ofa i ia a country countr bridge that was constructed from an nn out crop crOll In the thu Snit Salt Lake nl I Icy Ity convinced mo inc that oil oth must exist exl l here Following up this proof I haul hall the Iho evidence also drawn from tho the tact fact that I had obtained In III small of ot asphaltum from the lie clay measures of ot lake Bonneville when whon testing for tor pot potters ers uso anti tile 1110 making many years ears ago In tho the bench clays of ot Ogden DEEP WORKINGS Tho The most moat favorable Bite alto for tor making m drop deep cast workings wan along lie tho mouth nt itt f tho the Jordan river to the mouth of ot the time Weber river of ot Ogden but bUI the basin of ot tho the Great Salt SnIt Lako Lake be being beIng being ing widest at that point It seemed not unlikely that at great groat depth oil would also be found thare anti and from even tho the shallow borings made mado by seine Mine companies a n few e years year ago In that region for tor gas gat and with reasonable success left loCI good ground for tor hoping that with greater depth other measures rich In either cither oil or asphaltum or both would bo ho encountered OOZING FROM TIlE THE ROCKS nocK While thus engaged In studying this subject I was wa Informed by some omo parties In Ogden Ogdin gd n chief among them tIlling being Mr Ir Charles O 0 Wheat one of ot time tho old Over Oel Overland Overland land Express riders that mt far from the tho north shore chore of at the tho lake ant of ot Promontory he and Ind others ra had re ro recently roc centi c nU discovered asphaltum oozing from Clam the lie rock formation of ot that local locality locality ity lIy Mr Wheat hlin himself lf lt being reliable I W was 8 willing to credit but taut us as ho me ha hano hinal l no o of or his discovery to show mo InO 1 I feared that lust what he lie took for us tie Wall vas taa nothing more or less than hot gaa gasses 8 that occur o cur pt fit many Inan points point in tn small caos of ot the lime limo limestone stone Stomie measures of or the west shores of ot the nd moreover years ears previous when the ho lake wan wall much higher than Hum now I had visited the tho north shore and remembered quite well that distend instead of or a formation favor favorable able to the existence of ot oil ell or there existed only lilly rook that t reached j to the waters edge mind and seem tho the waves had washed that dos ilos 08 rrt ert rt shore since Inco hat thu days dAYI when the fiery llory lIo flow low reached 11 In tn Its southward course from tho the great volcanic field of ot Snake River RUy In southern Idaho and anal furthermore It seemed that this Igne Igneous owl ous sliest sheet extended far tar Into tho the lake I doubtless for tor a 1 gront groat distance constituting I its bed bod What wonder then thon that hat one ono should have believed that of ot nil purls ot of tho ito greet great basin tho the desolate banks t the tho north shore the mot most Im ira Improbable probable ouo ommo In III which to find evidence of ot asphaltum WAS OF or man PURITY In the tho autumn of at I saw an ex OJ exhibit hibit of ot at the National Ir Irrigation congress In Ogden Ogdon purporting to I come from tho ho north shore of at tho the lake Upon examination I found It of at high purity and much resembled Trini Trinidad Trinidad dad or California a Very lit little littie littie tie tle attention was rits given the exhibit Many who hn raw euw It 1 believed the entire story of Its It II discovery discover a 1 fake antI and per personally I gave 10 but little attention n to It However to settle In my mind the tho truth or falsity aIRily of or statements made I plan piau planned ned an on expedition to 10 this the reputed place of ot discovery which lies Ilea at a It point IK 15 I miles southwest of ot Promontory Pr station on the Southern Pacific railroad 11 The of ot country countr that ono one Oil hiss has to travel over CAT between the lake shore hore and title lift station illation Is III level It cl but of n a 1 desert na nn nature nature ture drea tl and sagebrush co er most float of ot the this country count Tho The day da of ur our to the spot allOt was cold collI anti and bleak nt an we WI It II I saw laW that the th shore line had changed leaving the this meander line lino far ausy to the and lAnd upon reaching the bas baa basaltic altic or Igneous reef meet of ot rock that thiat form torm formed formed ed ld a the tte waves as In the theold theold theold old day I 1 found conditions existing that lint upset my jay former fornier opinion ba base e I Ion on conditions as mis they the appeared 22 Z years rears auto apa A short distance ll rOm hum the tho baits of ot the tho there hero shows tho the outcrops ot of tho the green sandstone and further out nut Mi where ere tho the thin sheet ot of salt writer touches louche the sandy shore hare scores of ot small Islands I might sy uy hundreds hundred rise out of the tho lako hake and each eKeh of or theme Are like cones resembling ant Int anthula hula hilla From these the there thero exudes the vii vie asphaltum similar to what I h baLl d scon nt at the lie Irrigation In Og den WADED INTO TIlE TUB LAKE Wading with my m assistants for tor some lIme hundreds of ot nto to the lake Inke I care carefully ell carefully fully tull a number of ot those these tonsil small islets Inlets none of ot which aro are wider wid or than feet teet In diameter and neither Is III one ono of ot them that Is h more moro than two to and anal anda an 1 a 1 halt half feet above tho ho water These Thel Islets isleta are wholly formed of ot tho ho outflows of ot and they rise rho its II vents ent from the tho th lake lako bottom The weather at the tho time line of ot our visit was cold and yet et there I het was Wail a great reat out outflow Mow flow from each ench of thene cane rones In the this islands Inlands Around Moun ea h small cOne titers there lies a II circular solidified sheet of ot still but resembling a huge pancake Anti And 1 hose Issues I uti for COr generations have rave been washed out to deep water by b The lh strong waves and l lie 1111 In undetermined quantities aa as 1 huge hure boles of ot asphaltum at the tOme luke lake bottom HOCK ROCK The Tho rock rk formation tomato that tai retches reaches rech up un to 0 the base b ot of these th small Islands lland Is I what we know u am rock rk asphaltum mind and treated for to tho the con contained cn shied 1 therein would return a distillation ion tion ton of or about abut 40 per ver cent rent asphaltum Upon carefully examining the little vents HitH at the summit commit of or ech eh cone cono we WI discover oil ott If suing forth with wih the he flow low of ot This Is II soon n wasted away WiY by the waves and ad at many mn points paints along the southeast shore hore we traces tlc of or whore where here this black oil all carried bv by b the rocks rk lois has left Ita a black blak coating on 01 the tho therk IN LIQUID FORM I round rund that mine five or six Ix years ago n ml Frenchman associated with Mr Truman fJ of ot Salt Lake City located Interests at t this point and Ind to develop lie tho property they procured u it suction from a 1 tem boiler bolter which they sank Into the sand Ind and mud ud until It reached the Impervious clay ell then lien out the he water they drove down a P I two to Inch pipe pip to a depth of ot about 40 feet tt Through this pipe a 1 consider considerable considerable able quantity of ot issued forth tot for to a n time tl flowing over oer Its Ita rim It I would seem Hm that It I was wa but a I short llano leoro tho the flow was ms cheeked checked und And nd strange to relate Ilat Mr and ad his hil associates associate were unable to draw drw the be te attention of or capital to the spot lpt for tr II IL I seemed Im that they soon ln after aft abandoned the tie enterprise R NOT CREDITED Others took toll it up but this the tl story ot of existing there was Wa not no gen generally generally n erly credited The ISe wid wild lid desolate spot for far from tr nun would certainly be tie b nn ita A Ideal Idel region In tn which to tn Announce a fake discovery of nt any In kind by u a I crafty cr ty fakir The Tho hl year 1 l lt 0 however verified venne the til existence of ot this moat mOt pro promising raisIng Held fIeld rell Late Jole In lam II the fall fail tal of ot this year r a 1 party parly of or capitalists e visited this locality but bUI owing to tl Inclement weather wether er or sad anil the lack lak of or a t proper guide they did not nt reach rach the that would have disclosed to them the hue Importance of this discovery and ami all they tilY went away i In almost total Ignorance of ot Its II value v ue At the time lame of or my visit however I 1 ex cx examined e 1118 a number of oC the lie largest lt of at the Islands and Ald secured It about abt 40 pounds or ot asphaltum and an rock rk TUf MINE The Tho present owners of ot this property known us II the Seepage have organ oln IR a I company and shortly horly after my visit bl to t sink pink an nn oblong vertical erUm shaft which was W carried rt down to a oC ot About abut SO 50 S feet fat tet and ad timbered When the warts warm weather eather of at summer ummer comes comas cm the now Jow sluggish will wl fill this shaft but fir far more mr vigorous work than tha th this must be b lone lane to de do develop de this the lop splendid showing on o north shore hore WIDE WID aCTION Tho rho arm area 1 In III which this and ld oil 01 exists In Is II found hers here to lo be bs I about abut 10 miles In length and nd from fm three thre to four tour miles Int lot the lake It I ts Is wholly on oti the west t sIde sWe le of ot the great eat promontory and It is II but little wonder that It lisa ban bantien hA been tien so 0 long unknown to the people plo of ot Utah Ut Upon UPIl 1 the spot lpt I t felt that was Wil ono omie of ot the greatest dis discoveries ever eer made within be confines of the thC hi great Il 14 bier t whore tho the surface cup In is Il thin the ui pros IrO sure lure made tade by gai gais D a 8 that Ihn t n the tho oil 01 and anal an m a uri th thit it 1 doubt doub li s exist lt be bulow low the bod 1 arri nan han hl formed small vt and tl t rR u UI us the he In I bast n t proof of ot what may 11 mita bo be b round at nt gna 11 depth 1 I DISCOVERY In the tho Ihl t I i o ot f the shoreline west Of ht to 12 north norh ot of Salt lak i i nd md Ht of or 0 den deli anti and M t i a her t city by Y I l ti Ii u i silt It along lIon tri uP Ik mouth of Bear n a I a Is ha I nw now e rI euy to tImid find Ild evidence 01 01 I Ui t hydrocarbon now that I we 6 Inn IUIe the actual tad fut known that util asit II iu I or Oi 01 oil 01 rt 11 ili t exists at atnay nay it II it the Itte Suit Stilt Rul Lik b ln I look hook ui i i l I 11 i out UIt top by bythe b bythe the lik lk ii a 5 a ft most mot ting nail oi 4 ery er it lie 1 1 an nn In ir 1 i that below the lime nim r m there I I I I a 1 vast rant Mt reservoir of f h lr If U this be b BO so 0 what u II tremendous CI dous source ot of wealth Ihl ld m rn an anfor anfor for tor Ut Uth Utah n In II tin the th An fields have havo nf if f oil oU that fliRt we Ne ho seen seon noun FM I certainly were great aret but n n of ot science mourn over oer the thu fu fuat t that at I broken SaId field In almost O every M I has hiI permitted tho Ihl u upu of ot Its hydro hydrocarbon I carbon treasures but not so In tn tho time great basin of at for tor here hare her has hn been retained all that centuries have hMO II gl to this region 1100