The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-06-29
MIDDLE FIELD"
The Excitement Growing stronger Day
after Day.


very intense during the past week, and
the craze over the double flow" of the
six-forty-six and the Murphy, since
the drill bit was lowered in the sand, is
wonderful. After drilling to a certain
depth in this field of gushers nothing
less than II lake ofoil 1t seems is tapped.
Too true, we are thinking. The own
ers of these noted wells are kept busy
from day to day enlarging their storage
capacity, and then, there is much
waste.
CADwALLADER NO. TWO ON FIRE.
On Tuesday night of this week, be-
tween nine and ten o'clock, Cadwalla-
der well number two, on lot 647,
from II lantern, and instantly the entire
surroundings was q mass of flames.
In very few minutes the oil in the
tank caught, and shortly it burst, and
| five thousand barrels of oil was on fire
| flowing in all directions and burning
up everything in its course. The rig,
eight thousand barrel tankage, and
! five thousand barrels of oil was des-
troyed by the devouring element.
Three men who We're employed on the
lease were burnt, one of them by name
of Gibson supposed to be fatal, and the
other two, not seriously at this writing.
The well is still pouring fourth stream
of fire from sixty to eighty feet into the
air, and scattering the burning fluid
! in all directions. And rumor has it
that three thousand dollars are offered
to any one who will extinguish it.
With the large quantity of gas escap-
ing from these large wells, it will not
he surprising to hear ofsome still more
destructive conflagration in that field
unless great caution is exercised. The
stations of the Union Oil Co. and
United Pipe Lines are both destroyed.
1t is understood that three thousand
dollars has been offered to anyone ex-
tinguishing the fire, and that parties
are to work to that end. At the time
of going to press we have no informa-
ton that the fire is extinguished.
Tuesday night, when the fire first
caught and late into the night, the
fire was distictly seen in Warren, and
caused much excitement. The ground
being saturated with OIL the fire covers
a large space around the well, The
large body of oi rising does not burn
! at once, the gas burning, the oil, or Il
portion of it, falls back to the ground,
and there burns like orthodox hell.
Mahoopany Oil Co. stopped the hum
Of the drill at their Mystery, on lot Gil,
! last Monday evening, about dusk, but
started the drill again Tuesday to open
up the mystery" They found it no
easy task to cut the pine plugs-three
of them, we believe-that held back
the fluid. When the drill left the bot
tom Of the well the gas would force
the plugs up with the tools and keep
the drillers from "cutting." While
working in this way the plug wore off,
caused from rubbing against the well,
allowing the well to make great flow
for some thirty minutes. The plugs are
|
| hundred barrels an hour.
Magee d Smiths new well Oh lot
Gil will by all means be a gusher-and
Il good one too. Monday OF this week
these gentlemen developed large gas
well in the six-forty-siX sand on lot
lG7.
The Thornton Oil Co. have their
well OH G72 drilling-it is nearing
completion.
Manhall d Smithman are building
a %, ,O0O-barrel tank. They have three
rigs on the next and southern part of
go.
Mallory has a rig building on a
twenty-five acre tract on 6lO south of
Barnesdell. So, also have the Barnes
dell Bros. a rig up on 6l0. They are
now spudding.
Col. Wilcox, is putting up a rig on
lot 9l2 and one on $50.
How & Eaton, Hows & Parker and
Beaumont d Drake, are putting up
rigs-three-on Reid & Brenneman's
portion.
Reid & Brenneman, will have anew
well due in a few days, and not to be
out-done, the Forest Oil Co. have one
of their three rigs on lot Gil completed
and drilling commenced.
Anderson & Crawford and Kneeland
& Carroll, have purchased tracts on
633, and will at once open up.
Contractor Wilson informs us that
four rigs will at once be put up on part
of lot 620 for the Grogan Boys, who
will commence operating at once and
without delay.
Al. Brown has one rig up and The
drillers are now rigging" her.
John L. Mckinney & Co. have
located well Oh lot 657. Work is
progressing rapidly.
Smith q Bari have started the drill
at their well on lot 6l0.
Manhall & Co. have commenced the
drilling in their new venture, $40.