The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-23
SCOUTING FIRE AND WATER
TIE ARTESI1N WELL THAT mas Aston
ISHED HES TERN NEW YORK.

A uc1eon of Fire at Night and = Pillar sfIee
by Dny-ReIensinH the Forces Of Nature
A GeoIosist shoemaker who Yas - Theory.
On Friday. Feb. 81, the people Of lie Roy.
NY we're startled by an exhibition Of the prnt-
ND forces Of nature such rs has not been wit
messed In this part OF tho country within
the recollection Of any one now living. lie
Roy ls on branch Of the New York Cen
trail Railroad. The branch runs from Can
Rndaigua to Batavia. II Ia called the Pra-
nut road 10y jocular residents along tho line In
Wyoming. twelve miles south Of lie Roy. u solid
deposit Of salt from seventy Ave TO eighty fret
thick was recently struck at n depth of 500
feet Believing that this and other valuable
mineral veins ran through lie Roy. the Vacuum
OIL Company Of Rochester are boring an arto-
sian well with nvelnch drll in the outskirts
OF the village. close ~ the Peanut road At noon
on the above date the drill WIS pecking away
300 feet In the bowels OF the earth. Ono OF the
largest derrcks used In tho boring Of deep
wells lowered over tho hole. The structure
was seventy four feet high. tho ground story
being boarded up. and used IA u shop for re-
pairing and sharpening tho drills. There was
a forge and fire in tho shop. The drill had
been working its why through a worry hard
limestone formation. at times progressing
hardly foot in twenty four hours.
After the drill had been drawn one OF the
workmon. G. c. Hunt. remarked that he heard
rumblng noise In the hole. Then j. II. Brown,
another workman. applied his ears to tho bore
boys" no yelled. " guess we'vo gone tn rough
the roof OF the bottomless pit. smell sulphur
and hear terrible roaring"
As Brown stepped back Hunt threw live
coal down the hole. Fearing the consequences.
the mon pushed bailer down the bore TO ex-
unguish the coal. In few minutes. however, q
Il. IIaJt IL. g.. . h.
fire in the stove. There shot up through the
derrick pillar OF fire. The workmen escaped
with slight injury. and began tearing of the
boards and shovellinR snow into the derrick in
Ayain effort to extinRuish the flames.
Following the gas came powerful stream OF
water. 1t shot up to the top OF the derrick. and
falling in torrents soon put out the fire. The
water was strong brine. Itkept increasing in
force until at in the evening it rose many feet
above the derrick. Some Of the spectators
placed II ~ high rs $50 feet. as near rs the eye
could measure, while others said that II only
cleared the top Of the derrick by twenty
neer in artesian wells, said it was the largest
spout Of the Kind ever known.
back k ON the derrick 4 froze to the beams and
cross pieces. making a colossal monument OF
News OF the water and gas strike spread like
wdire. Residents fiocked to the scene from
all directions in all sorts OF vehicles. In n few
towns began to pour In. Bottles and Jugs were
used to carry OF tho water. some carrying
away ciclcs from the derrick in their pockets.
II was the universal belief that great wealth
was about to be showered down on the iortn-
pate village OF lie Roy: Prof SchmItz OF me lie
the water to once eighth its bulk in salt. with
traces Of alum and gyusum.
The upward rush OF water continued about
twenty-fOur hours Then II suddenly ceased.
The amount discharged was estimated ut a
large cakes Of lee simplicity iiiied the space at
the foot OF the derrick, making II impossible Tor
the men to proceed with their work.
On Sunday afternoon. forty-eight hours after
the first outburst. gus began 10 now again with
considerable force. cap was placed on the
casing. and threc-lnc gas pipe about sixty
feet long attached. This pipe was laid on the
ground. and the gas ignited. The flow was so
feet from the end OF the pipe Prof. Schmitz
pronounced it sulphuretted hydrogen gas. The
burning volume was us large as cask. lighting
ny the village at night, The earth under the
light burned to the color OF brickdust. The
sE9t o. night was ,s 6eSHtiT i f 81 ;hn Of
derrick. while the beams were crystalized with
ic. and salt.
the well on Thursday evening. March 6. the
npw of gas had ceased Residents near tho
well said the Vacuum Company had shut Il on
Tho workmen had departed.
spectators and bS Dir. j. Mocker. proprietor Of
the house where most Ot the workmen boarded.
%s6 q7 S % f. IF No kgrGS erTSd the
respondent 10 Mr.. John Eyres, the village Shoe
maker. -, 1, -,
inquired the correspondent. .
" lie knows everything replied bystander.
" Yes. " said another. he is known as the
geOlogist shoemaker. He has thousands OF
Specimens Of petrciactons and fossils in his
shop. and can tell the lay Of the rocks from here
e. the coast OF Labrador. Many professors cor
respond with him. He has a letter now from
Prof. MOicott OF Albany about this well.
THE BIOLOGIST SHOEMAKER.
mi. l. 10 no.. In n
second story in the main street. There were two
work benches. John Eyres sat on one OF them
with a half-made shoe strapped TO his knees
He WAS driving pegs and talking to hai duzeI
young men when the correspondent entered
He is a medium sized man. with coal-blnck
tangled hair keen, dark eyes pale. broad lace
wide and not over high forehead. with obscrva
ton we'll developed. lie is about 40 years Of age
! have heard. Mr.. Eyres. that you are inter
estcd in the salt we'll and can give me some in
formation concerning IT,"
what do you desire TO know about tt1"
Whether it Is likely they Will strike as rict
deposit OF salt here AS AT Wyoming or wheth
er the gas is OF sufficient volume TO prove valu
able" 80
That is difficult to determine at present" an
swered the shoemaker. driv nv peg but tn
chances are good for salt. Here is some have
condensed from the water" Handing the CORE
sp0ndrnt a small bottle filled with clear Whit
granulut,d salt. he hastily drove two more pegs
You'll find that salt very pure. There is
slight trace OF alum in IT,. however" Anothe
peg sent home. don't believe they nav
struck the main deposit yet, although they won
have 70 20 half the depth OF the wyoming dc
posit"
Driving home another peg. and taking up hi
cutting board and piece OF chalk. the gcol
og.st shoemaker continued: You know IN
strata u rocks here have dip OF about my lee
" the mile, thus drawing lew rapid line
somewhat In this fashion:
THE GBoLoGIsT sHoKMAKRR's DIAGRAM.