The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-08-26
HIS HAIR TURNED WHITE.
A Narrow Escape from Death by
Burning Oil. IN
from the Philadelphia Times.

A Narrow Escape from Death by
Burning Oil. ~
1 from the Philadelphia Times.l
/ GLOW did my hair turn white Well,
sir, you viii sit down on that new
.bul4 wheel shaft while I turn off the gas
at the boiler and slack lie said line Ii
the derrick, I will tell you. III
A young man of splendid physique
and handsome features paused long
enough IN his work Of detaching the
walking beam from the ahaft crank at a
drilling to ask his visitor to be seat
ed and wait till he was through with his
work before explaining why his hair was
of color SO out of keeping with his
/ age. 1872 aH
/ "And so you want to know how my
hair turned white? Well, L don't know /;
| doG't tell the story very often, but if
Boylston sent you here !. to see me
guess it's all tight, 1 was originally d
Bostonian: having been raised at. the
Hub | don't look as though I were
| falnt-hearted, do T? About two years
ago was In hard luck for some reason
or other, and, as it never rains but it
pours, [ had all sorts of misfortunes, the
most remarkable of which turned my
hair from color moderately black to
the silvery wilderness you see now.
There had been q heavy storm one night
at about midnight, and, as Usual with
the oil-country residents, / arose and
looked from the window to see if any
tanks had been struck by lightning. A
bright glare in the sky convinced me
that large tank of oil was on fire few
miles distant, and I went back to sleep,
determining to 60 to the fire at noon
and see the first overflow. You know
that when d 25,000-barfel IRON tank of
oil has been on fire for twelve or four
teen hours the burning oil will boil up
and flow over the sides just like kettle
OF soap. Well, about noon, in company
with three or four young fellows, I went
to the fire. It was beautiful day. The
sun shone mellow and subdued on the
earth, the hills were robed in brightest
green after the rain, and the birds we're
having happy time In the trees. Hum
dreds of feet In the air hung grand
pillar of blacklist smoke, and from out
the huge tank fierce flames were shoot
ing upward, as if to burn the vault OF
heaven. .f f..-a
cat o'clock the first grand overflow
occurred. As [ stood on the hillside
picking wild berries, I heard man
shout, she's coming, and saw pipeline
men running away from the tank for
their livess [ heard rumbiing sound
inside the tank and didn't know what it
meant, but few seconds after I saw
fully 800 barrels of burning oil shoot up
from the tank and boil over the sides.
1t was grand beyond description, and
stood and watched it in silence. The
burning oil hoated down a creek for
mile, burning saW-tnill, nt1merous oil
wells and tanks, buildings and every
thing within reach of its devastating
breath.
:" When the flow had partly subsidized
it was found that a second 25,000-barrel
iron ssfI1k had BEEN set on fire by the
overflow Of burning oil. Being some
what mq1isitive [ ventured down be-
hind the tanks to get better view from
the lower side. While trying to avoid
pool Of burning oil fell into mud hole
or sort Of quicksand and stuck fast. My
utmost endeavors were of no avail in ex-
Treating myself from the hole. Iyelled
at the top Of my voice, but so great was
the roar Of the burning tanks that my
voice sounded weak and far away. [
struggled until exhausted and then lay
back and rested. ~
Suddenly I heard the sound of a
cannon and saw column of fame and
smoke shoot up from one of the tanks.
The truth came upon me like bolt of
lightning, and I was almost stricken
senseless by the thought. The United
Pipe Line men were firing cannon balls
through the first tank to draw off the oil
and prevent second overflow. Great
God What a conviction came upon
ne The burning oil would flow down
upon me 1t was a matter of seconds.
I tried to shout, but the words would not
come. With the strength of despair I
struggled to get free. The quicksand
held me with the grip Of 10000 devils.
ALI at once saw little stream Of burn
ing oil run slowly down toward me. My
time had come. thought, and / must
be burned to death by inches. The
earth was dear to me then-dearer than
ever before and I turned to get look
at the sunlight and the bright world
once more. The horror and fear passed
away and I was ready to die. The
stream Of burning oil, now grown larger,
was upon me, but did not seem to care.
saw it as in dream. The earth and
all things earthly faded away, and all
was dark. 1G
E When I came back to consciousness
was lying in my own room with my
friends around me. The boys said that
in following the supposed course of the
overlooked oil they came upon me and
rescued me just as the burning stream
was about to push upon me. Twas sick
long while, and when I got well I
found my hair was as white as you see
it now. The doctors said it was caused
by horror and fear"