But in the nine years before Drake struck oil, in 1859, thanks to fatal competitors, chiefly oil and gas made from coal, to which the whalers had not been paying attention.
但是在1859年，美国第一口油井开采九年之前， 由于煤油和煤气的竞争，以鲸油为燃料的照明市场受到致命打击， 至少六分之五的目标市场被抢。 之前捕鲸者并没有注意到这些对手。