New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-07
The Fire on Pit Hole Creek-Bsrniug Of
nm Oil Well.
Correspondence Of The Cleveland Herald.

tOrresponfenCe
The intelligence sent You by special telegram
concerning the great fire last night, unsatsflc
tory that avail myself Of the earliest moment n s
morning TO write you more extended account. Yes
terday morning about 40 o'clock. new well that had
been tubed the dag before the llolmden Farm, and
10. 10 the northern line OF the farm, began 10 be
pumped IL situated on the West side OF Pit Hole
Creek, between II and the g second bottom. AFTER ~
minutes pumping the well began 10 yield at the rate Of
800 10 400 barrels IN % hours. The wei would have
flown that anofnt without farther pumping one hour
after they began 1t is deemed advisable however 10
pump q well that begins TO How, on the doctrine that
agitation does IL good. As the owner Of the Wen had
no idea what they had when they began 10 pump. no
tank prepared Tor the reception Of the OIL IL was.
consequently. pumped out upon the ground during
the day considerably over 100 barrels lad been pumped
upon the ground. filing all the little pools creeping
among the grass gliding gradually down the creek Dot.
tom, and along the buif ID or 20 rods such things had
been done before. and serious approximations Oi dan
ger were ie.t.
Crowds Of people visited tho well during the day for
such remarkable well the great sensation OF The
day IL promised 10 be the largest OF all the nammotns
on Pit Hoe at various times there from 20 to
100 persons present About y O'Clock iast night.
large number people present and hall dozen
were on the derrick others ranged about at
various distances Your correspondent proyidentiiy.
did not happen 10 be Of that NUMBER but was al te mo-
ment about 20 rods away. My attention was suddenly
arrested by explosion load Us goodsized cannon
would MAKE The first impression was that some Dlast
ing operation had taken place but inmediaey on turn
ing about tie scene presented before me In all It's
awful grandeur. Suddenly powder ignites, suddenly
lightning from the skies, there swept up from the
EARTH from Of fan acre OF ground
which tue oil had covered. flaming Kissing bowling
that nearly 100 feet into the air the whole
fiery mass suimountod by thick BACK pail OF smoke,
as from hundred throated furnace Above tho high
tops II eaped US II springnS III impotent Jury at
the very skies.
Everybody rad heard the explosion, and. in a mo.
ment, every body the iery demon overshadOwing
the creek Lot No. 10 is but twelve fifteen rods
from the tanks OF the famous Ho!mstead we'll In which
were thousands Of barrels OF oil stored away One
hundred rods further down the creek were 1900 or
barrels Of oil stored in huge tanks near the
Frazier and TWIN Wells. As the secthing flames
mounted upward aud ran into every nook and Granny
where little pool Of oil Lad been formed. everybody
expected, in moment, to see the whole creek bottom
boiling lake Of fire.
Instantly upon the explosion the people in every
direction some toward the fire others from II. Men
looked excited and alarmed. The few women in the
crowd cried and already their own friends among
the many that oil felt must have been caught in the
whirlpool of fire and dragged down with hungry fury
to awful death. Running in the direction oi the fire
three wreched men That had barely escaped from
the flames One OF them. bowling IN agony. 90 my
God what shall do Whist can do" had his clothes
almost wholly burned from his body. His back and
breast and legs were brown with enormous hire bsers
changing to the SKIN. while bis hands burned to
the bones At the time of the explosion ho sitting
in the derrick, and In running through the iamcs fell
down with both hands plunged into the burning oil.
lie was able however 10 leap into the creek, ioriu-
natey covered with the OIL and thus barely got out
of tine kissing, cracking blaze His name was Lucius
Kingsley Of Syracuse, New-fork.
On the heels Of Kingsley was another man. bleeding
and burned and holding out his charred hands TO the
passing, frightened crowd. Still another man, bleed.
ing, bowling and fearfnlly burned. followed. The
alarm was 50 great that neither OF these could tell how
many others had shared their fate or suffered even
more by burning the ground They reported as
many as 20 persons Laying been In the Immediate vi
cinity OF the well when tho explosion took place, aud
least half of these had been probably burned death
the ground.
Tie CONSERVATION for ten minutes was immense.
Millions OF property In peril, and lives already
lost Imme iiacly squads Of workmcn were organized
who. with shovels and spades worked upon the outer
edge Of the fire TO stay its progress 80 soon as the
Fire Demon had licked up the oil on the ground 1t be-
gan gradually TO die out the borders and. finally in
he space of two hours was wholly contentcd at the
well. Engine house. derricks, tanks aud evergreen
trees had been burned. The fire was still roaring at
the mouth OF the tubing. ,
The oil and gas in immense Quantities. In conse.
qucnce of the great produced at tho bottom o!
the we'll poured forth only TO leap into furious flames,
while the right portion Of the tubing drippcd with liquid
fire. During the might pea Iaboged " deYise soms