The Southern Cross Petroleum Works.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4791, 7 September 1883, Page 3

The Southern Cross Petroleum Works.

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GISBOBNE, Sin. f. Upon returning to Gisborns this evening from a short trip into the oountry, I found that considerable exoitement prevailed in the town. Bumours had reaohed the plaoe that oil had at length been struck at the Southern Cross works. The latter, though they are* not far off Gisborne on the mip, are in reality severed from the chief oentre of Poverty Bay population by a distanoe whioh, as far as reoeipt of news is concerned, equals thatseparating this town from . Wellington. The only means of reaohing the site of the boring operations is by a three days' ride over .the roughest, hilliest and hardest of bush traoks, or by steaming up the coast. This latter meausof oommunicationisa most irregular one, consequently, newa with regard to the progress made at the oil wells, or what it is hoped will soon be oil wells, travels vory slowly. Today, a gentleman arrived in town, who states that the pipe is now full of oil, though the liquid does not run over like an artesian. This statement is confirmed by Major Bopata, the well-known friendly Native chief, who has also just oome into town. Bopata left Tupuroa a week ago. He is a large ; shareholder, in the Oompany. Being unable to find either Bopata or the other late arrival, I went to see the Company's Secretary here, Mr Stubbs. Mr Stubbs, however, deolinesto Bay that he haß reoeived " offioial " | information of the same kind as that brought in by the two people already mentioned. Xhe boring party are, however, expeoting at any moment to be in a position to send the joyful intelligence that oil has really been struck in large quantities and flows from the pipe, for the gas oau be plainly heard roaring in the latter. Water and oil are continually ooming up together from tho bore, and whon the pipes are oleaned out the last two feot of stuff brought up is always petroleum, unmixed with any foreign substance. The_ tubes are now down 560 feet, whioh is far deeper than they have ever been drivenMr Stubbs tells me tbat he had made arrangement for a Bpecial messenger to start off ovorland dirootly there was anything deouive to report, and this messenger has not yet arrived. It Boems to me that rumour must oertainly have anticipated the event, etill there is a chance that it might turn out true, for nothing is likelier, according to the indications ulready existing. If a steamer leaves here to-morrow for the North, and if it turns out that the speoial messenger has broken his horse's neok or his o*n, and allowed private travellers to get ahead of him, and if the rumours ore confirmed, I shall endeavour to eeoure a passage up the ooast and land at the Springs, with a view to lotting your readers know the truestate of affairs. It is unlikely that the excitement has been got up in the plaoe itself for the purpose of working on the shire market, for very few, indeed, of the shareholders, are in Gisborno or the distriot at all.