The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-07-31
ALWAYS IN DANGER.
RISKS OF oIL-soAKED TOWNS AMONG
SCOUTING WELLS.
Greasy Derricks, Magazines OF Nitro
Glycerine, and Tanks Of Petroleum.
ut the Mercy Of Fires, Gas Ex-
plosIons and Incendfaries.
IGOR. New York SUM-

IGOR. New York Sun.
No one who Is unacquainted with ths
character OF an ol-prod ucing. storing, and
transporting district, can form any notion
OF the scene that is presented when q fire
breaks out and gets beyond control In
such q district Forest fires and lightning
are the most dreaded agents Of destruction,
but there are so many other latent forces
which may assert themselves at any mo-
ment and wrap entire communities in
fame, that life and property in the oil re-
gions may be said to hang upon the slight
est tenure. W.
The oil wells are all flowing over, and are
pouring forth by day and night ceassless
sire inns Of material not only highly infam-
mable itself, but from which gases OF q
most deadly explosive and conbustible
nature are generated. Tanks holding from
LOCO TO 5000 barrels of petroleum are
thckly grouped In every producing district,
and from and to them the oil is constantly.
pouring through networks Of pipes In all
directions through the field. The grouni,
the buildings, the fences the trees, and all
surroundings are literally saturated with
crude petroleum The puddlss in theroad
are depths Of oil, or water thickly coated
with oil The physical character OF the
country in which petroleum Is found in
cut up by deep ravines or gulleys, and the
wells are drilled not only on every available
rod In the valleys, but they climb the rug
ged sides Of the steep and lofty hills to their
very summit
Rapid streams course the valley and tum-
ble down the mountain sides The oil towns
are compact collections of frame buildings.
constructed without any regard to conti-
guilty Of the wells. Derricks rise
from the very do1r-yards, in the streets,
AMI tower above the buildings on every
side Around about In this mass Of In
hanmable oil-wells AMI tanks, oil saturated
surroundings, and finder box buildings, rail-
road locomotives scatter showers Of sparks
almost hourly. Natural gas is conducted
from gas wells in all directions, and Is used
in all the houses for light and fuel, at the
oil-welis for fuel, and leaps In pillars OF flame
into the air from pipes set here and there In
the ground In all parts Of the region. Nitro
glycerine factories are numerous in all dis
tricts, and the dangerous explosive Is stored
in magazines at many convenient points,
and Is transported daily In wagons through
the fields for use wherever it Is needed at
the wells The falling Of live spark from
a locomotive, the premature explosion Of a
nitro-glycerine torpedo, the careless or i'm
the combu,tible houses is sufficient to turn
the whole country for miles around into
q sea Of fame in an incredibly short time.
The rapid streams in the oil field are fatal
conductors Of burning oil. The vast tanks
are many Of them close to the streams
When tank catches fire the oil in 1t burns
for long time before the inevitable disaster
comes The tanks are made OF iron, and
are SO strongly constructed that they with
stand for hours the intense heat Of thousands
Of barrels OF burning oil within them. At
last the iron glares with q white heat, the
heavy top falls in, and the liquid fire boil,
over and seeks its level, no matter what
stands in Its way. Finally the great iron
bands about the tank separate with great
report. and then the tank Is twisted apart,
and its entire contents rush on In their work
Of destruction. Dams are thrown up and
trenches dug In the probable course OF the
burning oil, In hopes Of holding 1t In check.
Often Thousand s Of dollars worth Of property
Is saved by this means Stopped by the
dams the flowing oil becomes q lake of fire.
the flames leaping many feet In the
air, while the oil seethss and boils and
throws of clouds of smoke as dense and
black as tar. These masses Of smoke mingle
with the tossing flames, frequently obscur- \
ing them, and always playing fercely in and
out among them with an eject that 10 awe
inspiring.
When q creek lies In the way Of o stream
Of this blazing oil escaping from . tank, the
danger TO neigbboring property is greatly
increased, for the oil pours in upon the sur
face Of the water. and Is borne along with
the current carrying destruction to places
far from the scene OF the conhagration.
During the great oil-tank fire in Titusville,
caused by lightning In 1884, while tank after
tank was boiling with blazing oil, and the
destruction OF the city was imminent, some
level headed person in the excited crowd
watching the approaching destruction sug-
gested the piercing Of the oil-tanks near
the bottom with cannon balls, 50 that an
outlet might be made and the oil drawn out
and the food for the fire thus taken from It
The experiment was quickly tried, and tho
result was beyond all expectation Tank
after tank was emptied Of Its contents, which
were conducted TO places Of safety, and the
city was saved. Since then the danger
from tanks fires has bean greatly lessened
wherever cannon are kept ready for the
work of tapping tho tanks. = 81 w.
Forest fires I'm the oil regions are not al
ways the result Of accident or unavoidable
causes, but some OF the most destructive
that ever visited the region were dus t. the
deliberate starting Of fire In the woods by
malicious persons With the danger Of
fierce CONGREGATIONS constantly threatening
them In SO many ways, however, the people
Of these oil towns live with - little concern
and apparent fear Of fire as II they were
domiciled In houses OF brick or stone, where.
petroleum or nitro-glycerine was never
heard Of 49,. 'a. WV