Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1866-02-23
The Pillar of Flame in the OIL Regious.-
Farther Particulars orthO Burning Wen.

Fnrther Particulars OfthO Burning We'll.
A correspondent of the Meadvie Pa.) Re-
publican furnishes the following interesting
particulars concerning the burning well in the
oil region, of which we gave some account
few days ago:
The well is situated on the eastern bank of
the Allegheny, at the mouth of MoVs Run. or
as it is sometimes called, Pine Hill Run. The
distance below Franklin is about twenty miles
by the course ct the river, or across the hiM
about twelve miles.
Before you approach near enough to tie
well to see the flames, your ears are sauted
with the roaring sound 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 well suffers
from surrounding circumstances. There is no
good object near with which il may be COM
pared as to height Added to this, the hills all
around it are from six hundl ed to a thousand
feet in height, aiiordng as a background rocks
and shrubs and stunted trees, that tend to d.
minish its effect on the eye and Imagination.
The well was OF course bored for oil 1t had
reached depth of some five hundred feet when
the column of gas, that must be immense. rush
the engine. Soon, OF course, the derrick, en-
CINE house, and fixtures were consumed, and
the engine itself wreck. The top of the con-
ductor which energies from the pit, being of
wood, was burned off, when an attempt was
made to fill up the pit with earth and exiting
uish the flames: This proved failure, as the
pressure OF the gas was too great to be easily
filed up.
As it is seen at present, the gas rushes
through the loose earth in thousand Jets, and
the result is that a column of flame constantly
energies from the pit equal to its size, which is
perhaps, eight feet square. This column rises
TO height of from fifty to hundred feet, va
rying every few seconds from the minimum to
the maximum height. The pillar is not regu-
lar in form, but rough and jagged. Sometimes
it is divided, and sends its tongues of flame out
in every direction. AS it reaches its greatest
height, the top of the flame leaps off and is ex-
tinguished. This is the appearance in day.
light AT night and surrounded by the dark
ness, its appearance must be awfully grand and
imposing.
am inclined IS think that there is some oil
mingled with the product of the well, inasmuch
as every three or four seconds cloud of dark
smoke rolls up with the flames and is swept
TO its very summit, when it disappears.
Some visitors compute the height at one hun
dred and fifty feet. This is probably correct at
some periods, as the day visited it, the air
was damp and unfavorabe to its reaching its
greatest height.
The roaring sound is constant, and almost
resembles the sound of distant thunder. The
climate in the neighborhood is very mild and
summer-like. The buds on the shrubs are ox-
panding and the grass green and fresh as in
April, while the very ice on the river has melt
ed and disappeared.
The well has been burning about three weeks,
with no apparent diminulion 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.
This light assumed very strange appearance
one evening last week. 1t was somewhat cloudy,
and in addition to the usual ruddy glow, the
light appeared to concentrate itself into bright
lance-like figure about four or five degrees in
length that remained stationary about midway
between the horizon and the zenith, where it
continued all the evening.