Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-06-26
Explosion Of an Oil We'll.

1t has been 10th asserted and denied Chat
the oil obtaineGffom the earth is explosive.
but the trequeny Of It's explosion in differ
ent sections OF he country is Strengthening
the mind Of the public in the belief that it
is explosive. l9iow we give ar account ola
sad result frontthe blowing up of orc Of tne
wells in NarrS county, Pa, causing the
loss Of eighteeliives, and seriously iniaring
many Others. Fhese facts should lead those
engaged in tbs business to exercise great
caution in havng fire in close proximity to
their wells, especially so, if there is much
gas issuing fron them.
"A well wINll had been drilled over two
hundred feet, Nv IIasley & Mer. ick, had
struck oil bat he yield being less than OK
pected, the pun1ing was abandoned and the
drilling recoalnenced. Over 100 feet was
farther drilled,l When at halcpast FIVE On
Wednesday eYeing, a sudden rush Of oil
ttlo Ugh the i've and a half inch tubing,
threw ont the gills and gushed up in The air
forty feet above he surface of the ground
At the least conputatiul, it was throwing
FRI seventy / enc hundred tafrels an
boar. Above khis mass of oil the gas Of
beRzine rase a cload, for fifty or sixty
feet. Asso3a b the oil commenced gussinr
forth, ali the fre Of the engines in the neigh
borhood were Immediately extineuished.
AT about h4f past eleven. as a laroe
number of IneeSna hovs were dyOunu ne
well ENGAGED in s9g.as tho oil, the gas from
the well, wheh hhd sfse2d il every diree-
ton, took fire f-in tie engine OF a wei
over four hundred rods distant, when in Il
second The whole Dir was in a flame, with a
crash and a roar like discharges from a
DARK Ct artillery. 1 As soon as the raS took
fire, the head Of the let of oil was in a fa-
rious blaze, and I'll ing like water from q
fountain over a space Of one hundred feet
10 diameter, each crop came down a blazing
globe Of burning oil. Instantly the ground
was a flame, constantly increased and aug
mented by tie falling oil. At once a scene
Of indescrlbable horror took place. Scores
were thrown fiat, and for a distance oftwen-
ty feet, and numbers, horribly burned, rush
ed biaz'ng from the he'll of misfortune. st.riek-
ing and screaming in their anguish.
Just within the circle Of the flame could
be seen fopr bodies boiling in the seething
oil, and one man, who had been digging 4
ditch to convey the oil TO a lower part lf the
ground, was killed as he dug, and could be
seen as lie fell over the handle of his spada
roasting in the ielce element. Mr.. IL. X
Rouse, OF the firm Of Rouse. Mitchell Il
Brown, of the village OF Enterprise, Warner
comfy, a gentleman largely interested il
wells in this locality, and whose income from
them amounted t. $1,000 a day, was near ths
pit, and was blown twenty feet by the explo
sion. lie got up and ran about ten or ffteer
feet farther and was dragged out by two men
and conveyed t. ashznty some distance f on
the well. When he arrived, not a yestige O
clothing was left upon him, except his stock
ings and boots. His hair was burned off. Al
wei as his finger nails, his ears and his eve
litis, vhile the balls Of his eyes were crispet
up TO nothingness. In this condition he live,
nine hours-mIdc his will, leaving $4,000
to The poor of Warren county: the sam
amount to repair the roads of Warren coun
ty and $500 a year 10 his father, his OIL,
living relation, for life. He died. howeyer
without signing the will.
The bodies of five other men were re
covered and recognized. In addition, ther
are the skeletons of five others visible within
the circle of the flame, and as many missin
strangers who came here TO witness til