THE SOUTHERN CROSS PETROLEUM COMPANY

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1131, 26 August 1882, Page 2

THE SOUTHERN CROSS PETROLEUM COMPANY

Now means business as they have got out of the hands of contractors. Two engine drivers well-known and steady men, Messrs Sceats and Benson, left for the works this morning, and the other men to complete the team, will go most likely by sea in a few days. The object of the Company is to work with the fullest possible number of hands to get their shaft down, which has shown such splendid indications of success so far. Petroleum “ sizzles ” (to use an Americanism) in through numbers of small vents accompanied by great abundance of gas. Mr Knox, the overseer, informs us that the Engineer, Mr G. P. Hilton, and one of the shaft sinkers were knocked over by the force of the jet from the newly opened oil seam. The shaftmen seem quite careless about the roar of the gas round about them, they are supplied with air fresh from the surface, in such quantity, as to nearly blow the hair off their heads by a 4 h.p. Tangye engine at the mouth of the shaft and rather like the excitement. The team including the Engineer who appears to be a man of resource will number 13 when all together and by then 24 hours of effective work per diem can be accomplished. The work now going on is simply for petroleum; and it is worthy of notice that the pluck shown by this Company under difficulties it has met with from earth on the one part and from spiteful human influence on the other has not damped the enterprise. The share list is always kept effective, if some people drop out, others are ready to take their place and so on. This is the sort of persistence that deserves success and from appearances at present, we are inclined to think that another few weeks will show tangible results. Nothing will give us greater pleasure than to chronicle them.