Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-02-21
THE WONDERS OF THE OIL REGION.

OF tue uay III 'hS
eions. One of these is the great burning
we'll fifteen miles below Franklin, whose
immense column of fire illuminates the
country for miles around aud has gwen
vegetation an unreasonable Development.
The extraordinary spectacle presented by
this we'll is thus described in the Mead
vile R~paticon
I'VE started on foot for the great burn
ing we'll, which IS near y two miles from
the hotel. down by the steepest aud mar
rowest path that can. he imagined, until
we reached the AT land or bottom, and
after going through short piece OF woods
most magnificent sight met our gaze
Imagine space Of perhaps forty feet
square sending up solid sheet Of fame
neatly sixty feet in hight 1t lights up
the country for miles around, so that Que
can read newspaper at distance Of
four or five miles The heat Of the t'e
has started vegetation to growing. and
grass can be plucked there as green as
that found in summer time. The well
is owned by parties in n. \, aud Was
struck some four weeks ago. 1t com
mcured flowing oil and water with very
S,l ong force OF gas, and the owners were
confident they had good we'll, but two
weeks ago last night, the men going to
supper, the we'll took fire, it is supposed
from TIE engine, aud has been burning
ever siuce. The fame when first discov
cred was coming out of the driving pipe,
end was not more than three or four feet
in diameter; but after burning two or
three Gays the driving pipe was melted
off two or three feet, and thus allowing
the gls and oil to separate before reach
ing the top, spread over surface thirty
OF forty feet square, 1t has burned ever
since with 10 cessation.
Sometimes the flames will reach to a
hight OF one hundred feet, and liycning
the trees which crown the submits OF the
surrounding hills, and the reflections
against the sky produce an effect which
no pen can describe or pencil oJustice to. "
Another account says the roaring and
cracking Of tie famts chn lie heard
at the distance of mile. The ground
around the we'll for nearly five hundred
feet IN every direction has ben thorough
ly baked by the heat. The trees are bud
ding, and some have actually put forth
leaves In some places the grass has
grown two inches high, forcibly remind.
ing one Of summer on IT small scale. At
times it burns 6ercer than usual, break
ing and roaring ant threat ming to burst
the earth and engnlf all within its reach,
aud forming scene beautifully grand
aud sublime Another surprising phe
uomcuu is the appearance OF oil in the
wells Of water, aud also much nearer the
surface of the carts The pithole RecOrd
of the 9th inst says:
"As those who were engaged in put.
ting out the fire yesterday were throwing
water on, it was discovered that by 50
doing they were only adding fresh fuel to
The flames, and on closer examination
a quality of our liquid greenbacks was
seen floating on the water. A rush was
made to the nearest pump from WHICH
water was ken. and there we found that
u negro h d pump d tie well until all the
water had been exhausted aud then oil
aud gas flowed in liberal quantities
lie pump was ten handled very lively,
the oil Confined to come aud the IRE lost
all interest except to the losers. Many
disbclieved the account, and would hard.
Iy credit their cycsight, some thinking
that the oil Was put there for "a sell
But before long it was found that two
other water wells aud some springs mad
also commenced sporting oil. aud incicd.
Utility gave way to be ief.
The news then spread through town
like wldtire aud every one left his or her
work aud went to the spot. We are all
accustomed TO visit the fats to see oil
flow from deep drilled wells; but it was
So ne,hing decidedly novel for the oil to
return the compliment and bring its
liquid treasure to our back doors from
water wells only some sixteen feet deer
TO say nothing Of the springs which were
flowing fast.
The wells so far ale three in number
and there are some four or five flowing
springs. he oil is accompanied oy soml
gas, although not SO much as the wells
OH the flats show.
The water of all there wells aud sring.
had been considered as very good uual,
ity until about Sunday, when disagree
able taste was noticed, which has Iccu in.
creusing ever since. Not the least strang,
thing is that these new oil wells are all al
least ono hundred aud fifty feet above the
flats.
The first we'll struck belongs to Mrs
ricketts,, widow lady, who has hereto
fore earned her living by washing. 1t i,
at the debih Of sixteen feet, and was onl,
pumped at intervals. but the OH cam,
freely at the stroke of the pump anc
would fill barrel in ten minutes. Il
WAS not worked moro on nc.onpt of :. J;g