The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1861-07-03
ExPLosox or AM oII. wrI.I..

II his been both asserted and denied that
the oil obtained from the earth is explosive,
but the frequency OF its explosion in differ.
ent sections Of the country is strengthening
the mind Of the public 10 the belief that IL
Is explosive. Below we give an account Of
sad result fram the blosiug up of one ~ the
wells IN Warren county. Pa. causing the
loss Of eighteen lives. aud seriously injuriss
many Others. These facts should lrai' i i...
engaged ~ this business 10 exercise great
eadliun in hasing FIRE in close pro1im.ty 10
their wells. especially so. il thete j. much
gas issuing from them.
"a well which had been drilled over tw,,
hundred feet. by fIawley 4. Manisk, lad
struck oil but the yield being les ihl r1.
/ pec'ed. the pumping was abandoned tnl the
drilling recommended. O,er 100 Ir Ma
further drilled. when at half pat i've ~
Wednes sday evening. a sudden rush Il oil
through the Ave and h,finr tnhius. ihr, "
cot the trills aud gushed up in The al iariy
feet aboye the surface Of the gtoand. t,he
least computation, it was throw ing lfum srI
enty TO one hundred barrels an hour Abu,r
this mass Of oil The gas of benzihr fn,e 10 a
cloud. Tor fifty Of SIXTY iret. A. sa"l 4, hr
oil commenced gushing forth, III thr Grrs u
the enginss in the nrighborhood we're in.,ne.
dis,ely ertingutshed.
AT about half past eleven. a. a large
number af men and boys were atnnnd tie
we'll engaged 10 saving the oil the "a. from,
the we'll, which had spread IN rNrrt l1er
ltion, took ere from the engine ui = vel mrI
four hundred rods distant. When IN = se,oni
The whole air was in flame, With a crash
aud roar like discharges frum psr1 ii ~.
liillery. As sonn A. the gas ,nuk hire. tie
head Of the Jet Of oil was 10 a luriuss blaze
aud faIl,ns like wstrr from launisin n,fr
space OF Que hundred iret in d,ametrf. e.ch
drop came dawn blazing gnbe II baruUg
oil Instantly the ground was llamr. e"i,.
stanily increased aud augmented Us Igc Iall-
I ing oil. AT once q scene ~ indrsrtibaJlr hUr.
ror took place. Scores were thrown lls;. io'
q distance II twenty feet. and uuinhfr,. hor.
ribly burned. rushed blazing lraa, tht ,rr,'
of misfortune. shrieking and sef' ug ~
their anguish.
"Just within the circle Of the laur enuli
be seen four budies bpiling 10 the srtthing
oil, and one man, who had been digging a
ditch 90 convey the oil 10 lower part II the
ground. was Killed - he dQg. and could be
seen a he fell over the handle Of his spade,
roasting in The fierce element. Mr.. II. v,
Rouse, of the firm of Rouse. Mitchell 4
brown, of the village Of Enterprise. Warren
eaan,y, . gentleman largely interested ia
wells In this locality. and whose income from
them Amounted 10 $1,000 = day. was near the
pi,. and vas blown twenty feet by the erplo.
sion. Tie got up and ran about ten OF fifteen
l,st farther aud was dragged out by two men
and conveyed 10 shaniy some distance from
he veil. When he arrived, not sesiige 81
clothing was left upon him, except his stock
lnss and boals. His hair "a, burned oH, a,
we'll az his finger nails. his ears aud his eye
lids, while the balls Of his eyes were srispet
. up 10 nothingnes. In this condition he li,et
/. nins hoars.-tnade his wiIl, leaving si00. .oOl