Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-02-25
SHOOTING THE ARMSTRONG NO. 2.


The crowd had gathered around to see
what good torpeJoing would do to a dry hole.
Apart from the rest, ard at work with some
TN things and cans WAS a big burly figure
who seemed TO be held in fear by the re~t.
The figure arranged the Tin things or shells
t. suit him and lowered them down into the
well When the shells had got to the depth
he wanted them. he picked up queer little
continuance, with a queerer name and drop
pei it into the well saving: Go Devil, as
be let the little instrument fall from his
hands. Ii went Devil In minute or 50
the effect Of the shot was felt, and the
crowd rushed Up into the derrick 10
IL the well would respond Five
minutes passed, aud only a gurgl.nS,
choking sound, coming from the bowels OF
the earth could he discerned. Ten minutes
IaSssd AMI the only change shat could b.
noticed wa, that the gurgling sound had be-
come stronger, and that the noise o! the
choking had become more PAINFUL Then
number If mei 10 .kai into tn, hole They
could see some kind of a fluid advancing to-
ward them. anl then reiroating as If afraid
a. show itself
Suddenly II Sok now courage. and ap
preached the top OF the hole There She
comes. yelled an excited individual es tine
the fluid boiled ont over the top 81 the hole.
The men IN the derrick Immediately I'D
From merely boiling over. the fiuid, and the
i.uii Was salt water. nlse up in the air
about three feet. then it became
stronger. and tried 10 kiss the top of tie der
rick. l'ut still no change in the color Of the
iiGid. Suddenly there Was cheer, the color
@: the fund WAS changing. the column took
mighty sirinS into the air. and 1t ceased 10
he salt water ami was a solid column OF oil
High over the top q. the tNenty-Sev1n foot
derrick, the column stretched it,eli out
"Gcidle mighty yelled big oil man did
You ever see anything like that, boys
AMI then the news was sent out But ile
column Of oil still pourei Itself forth eighty
five feet into the air, when i: would burst
and spread over the earth. The solid COD
unin Of oil still kept shooting out, and soon
a river Of oil was flowing down tie hillside
into the creek.
At first the people living along Buster
street were astonishej at the sight. then they
became fearful, the gas With followed and
lowered over the river " oil, was intense.
Breathing became hard. Then came mes
sengers from the well ordering all fires to be
put out, and by II O'Clock ro; fire was
burning liz the entire district AT every
well work la been shut down. AMI not
single pump was running in the entire dis
triCt The people living m the disii ct and
the oil men had 10 te content with cold
dinners, and in the afternoon the Philippians
became more fearful and began T.
move. The oil was still flowing down over
the hillside and the air became 50 IiaFre.
mated with gas that even breathing Wa dan
gorouS. Though the well WAS 50; under par
;ial control AZ S O'Clock, much oil was still
escaping. and the ar WAS sill sGrcharged
with gas At night lut few persons were IN
Phillips City. and those who staii did - only
because their duties made /; necessary for
them 10 remain The danger was too great
for the majority 10 run tie risk by staying
in the town. The cracking q match
within mile OF the well would have caussi
a terrible contisgration~