The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1866-03-01
More .ajout tie Burning yTclt---
Further PurticHlN1's--C Curious Ap-


The Meadville Pa Republican of
Thursday has the following additional
particulars concerning the burning we'll
of which We gave some account:
"FRANKLIN, Pa, February 10, 1896.
1t occurred to me that a more detailed
account of the Burning Well, referred
to by your correspondent from this
place, a few days ago, would be inter
estlng to your readers. 1t is certainly
one OF the greatest curiosities to be
found in the Oil region. 1t yields an in
terest to none Of the great phenomena
found in other lands, and richly repays
one for the trouble and fatigue endured
in visiting it. The well is situated ON
the eastern bank OF the Allegheny, at
Mogss run, or, as it is sometimes called
Franklin is about twenty miles by the
about twelve miles. The mode oftrav-
ell by your correspondent was by the
river, on the ice about half the distance,
the remainder over the hills.
AS you approach the region OF the we'll
the country becomes rough and roman
tie in the extreme. High hills and alb
rupt precipices are covered and over
hung by immense masses of detached
rock, that seem scattered at random on
the hill tops and on the sides of the ac-
cllvities. If the glacial theory of Agaz-
ziz be correct, then the ieebergs that
were anchored here were thickly laden
with mighty boulders from the North.
Be this as it may, the rocky masses are
lying here in wonderful confusion,
Before you approach near enough to
the well to see the flames your cars are
saluted with the roaring sound similar
to that which Ross Brown describes as
peculiar to the Geysers in Iceland. 1t
seems to be due chiefly to the rush of
gas from the depths below, but may be
in part from the flame itself as it rises
high in the air.
Like most great curiosities, this we'll
suffers from surrounding circumstances.
There is no good object near with which
it may be compared as to he. ght. Adj
ded to this, the hills all around it are
from six hundred to thousand feet in
height, af4ording as a back ground
rocks, and shrubs and stunted trees, that
tend to diminish its effect on the eye
and imagination.
The well was Of course bored for OIL
1t had reached a depth OF some five
hundred feet, when the column Of gas,
that must be immense, rushed up and
became ignited from the furnace of the
engine. Soon, Of course, the derricks
engine house and fixtures We're con-
sumed, and the engine itself a wreck
The top OF the conductor which energies
from the pit being OF wood, was burned
Oil, When an attempt was made 10 ELL
up The pit with earth antteXtinguish the
a.. g-,tI ~
pressure Of the gas was TOO great to be
easily filled up.
AS it is seen ut present, The gas PUSHES
through the loose earth III & thousand
Jets, and the result is that column OF
fame constantly emerges from Che pit
equal to it's size, which is, perhaps, eight
feet square. This column Uses 70 q
height o. from fifty TO one hundred feet,
varying every few seconds from the
minimum to the maximum height
The pillar is not regular IN form, but
rough and Jagged. Sometimes it is di-
Nided, and sends It's tongues OF flame
out III every direction. AS it reaches It's
greatest hight, the topof the fame leaps
Off and is eNtinguished. This is the
appearance in daylight. tt night,
and surrounded by the darkness, itsap-
pearance must be aWfulIy grand and i'm
posing.
I am inclined to think that there is
some oil mingled with the product ofthe
well, inasmuch as every three or four
seconds q cloud OF dark smoke rolls up
with tie flames, and is swept to its very
summit, when it disappears.
Some visitors compute the height at
one hundred and fifty feet. This is
probably correct at some periods, as the
day l visited it, the air was damp and
unfavorable to its reaching its greatest
height.
The roaring sound is constant and al
most resembles the sound Of distant
thunder, The climate in the neigh
borhood is very mild and summer-like.
The buds on the shrubs are expanding
and the grass green and fresh as in April
while the ice on the river has melted
and disappeared.
The we'll has been burning about three
weeks, with no apparent diminution in
its power, or in the quantity of gas, SO
that at present it bids fair to afford light
to the people for some time to come.
Although the fire is surrounded on all
sides by hills of such lofty proportions,
yet at night the light is seen at great
distance. At Franklin it lights up the