Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-05-03
Terrific Explosion OF am OIL Well
..-Elftcen Persons Burned to
Death.--The Earth ON Fire.


..-Elftcen Persons Burned to
Death.-The Earth ON Fire.
Brief mention has been made by tel
egraph of the terrific catastrophe that
occurred at Oil Greek, Pa, by which
fifteen lives wero Loaf through the ex
plosion of an oil we'll on the Buchanan
Flats. A correspondent Of the Buffalo
Erpress, in reporting the disaster,
says: -
This farm contains, probably, more
oil wells, commenced and completed,
thar are found on the the same number
of acres in any other part of the oil
region. unfortunately, tho cupidity Of
operators has caused wells to be sunk
in fearful proximity. The farm lies on
Oil Creek, about three miles from its
mouth and the Allegheny River. The
we'll which caused this sudden and ter
tible loss of lifo, and destruction Of
property by fire, was owned by Merit
l. Little, and understand, had been
pumping we'll, but, failing in its sup
ply, the rroprietors were drilling it
deeper.
They had reached the depth of three
hundred and twenty feet, when, at half
past five o'clock on Wednesday, the
18th inst, the drill penetrated large
assure in the rock, and Immediately oil
ard gas commenced flowing out Of the
top Of the we'll to the height Of from ff-
| ty to one hundred feet; through five
inch Eole. The atmosphere was heavy
at the time, which kept the gas near
the ground, and issuing from the we'll
in such immense quantities that the
Surrounding air was completely filled
with it. At six o'clock men extin-
guished the fires of engines in the i'm
mediate vicinity, and most of them
went to their tea after which, the vel
being so great curiosity, and sucl
Immense quantities Of oil being wasted
people gathered by hundreds, some t.
witness the sight, and some to helE
save the oil. About seven o'clock
like the dischafe of thunderbolt, anG
with reportwhich was heard for mile
tho terrific explosion took place
The air for hundreds of rods in circum
!, ference, was one vast sheet of intens'
flame a. Of lightning.
The conclusion Frustrated every on
| in the vicinity, and the ground aroun'
the we'll, for some rods, being com
pletely saturated with oil, those VIII
we're knocked down within this circl
, we're Immediately enveloped in a 6erc'
fame, and in one awful moment, min
> human souls, unshriven and unwarned
=, we're launched into eternity, and fron
1 twenty FIVE to thirty seriously burned
several of whom have since died.
The well which caused the accident
continues to discharge through FIVE
. inch hole to tho height Of forty to fit,
feet, and is still burning. They hav
been unable as yet to suppress it, o.
account of the great heat and fore
with which the oil and gas is elected
The heat is so intense that people can
!. not get within seventy-6ve feet of tn
we'll, and as yet it has been impossible
to secure the remains Of the killed g.
that, horrible to relate, their blackene'
,, remains lie in full view, but ou. o
reach.
The sight of this we'll by night-on
ly for the thought Of the awful acciden
which has accompanied its brillian
beyond Imagination. Nothing coul'
: give US as grand an idea Of Vesuviu
in it's commissions as fierce Vesuvius it
3 self. The flowing is accompanied b,
/ a continual noise, and by tremendou
throbs. As the oil and gas are force'
above the surface Of the we'll, they ar
caught by the devastating flame, &C
companied to its height, and separate
with light reports like the explosion o
sky-rockets, and as the particles of OF
reach the ground they are again caugh
by the flames, which cover it to the dis
lance of some twenty feet in eacl
direction.