The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-05-15
CREASED LIGHTNING.
The Biggest Oil Well in the World
Fired by Lightning.


The little Washington oil field
passed through it's first big fire yes
terday, bolt of lightning having
touched off the great gusher, Thayer
No. 2, and reduced everything in the
vicinity to ashes. Wednesday even
ing at shutdown Thayer Il CO., the
owners of the big well, were congrat-
ulating themselves that they not
only had the biggest well in the en-
tire oil regions, but also one of the
finest stayers that was ever struck.
Yesterday morning at sunrise, the
entire rig, tanks, engine house, &C.,
was in ruins, and the well was spout
ing mass of fame and smoke to
the height of hundred feet, while
the entire population in the region
round about were congregated in the
vicinity, sympathizing with the un
fortunate owners, or watching with
interest the efforts of those endeavor-
ing to extinguish the flames.
The cause of this sudden and aw-
full transformation scene was a heavy
thunder storm which began raging
over the greater portion of Washing
ton county early Wednesday evening.
The storm seemed to gradually in
crease in fury until about midnight,
when the elements seemed to gather
up their strength for one final out
burst, followed by an appalling dis
charge of the heavenly artillery, al
most binding oil men who were GO
ing to and returning from work at
that hour. The explosion was so
heavy that the ground seemed to
reel. Many sleepers arose in terror
expecting to find the roof over their
heads rent to pieces. Those who saw
the accompanying flash of lightning
say it seemed to leap from the hill
back of the Fair Grounds down into
the hollow in which the Thayer and
Gorden wells are situated and then
climb to the summit of the opposite
hill, where it forked and melted away.
The flash did not seem to strike any
thing, but it left behind it, high up
in the air. train of fire, which de-
cending, ignited the gas with which
the air was charged, and at once en-
veloped the Thayer No. 2 rig, and
it's three six hundred barrel tanks,
containing about one thousand bar
rels of OIL and also the tank house
of the old Gordon No. l, which also
contained about one thousand bar
rels, at once gigantic burst of
fame leaped into the air, and climb
ed higher and higher, rolling up
volumes of inky smoke, lighting up
the surrounding country for miles.
The sight challenged description,
and soon an immense crowd was at
tracted to the scene. The pipe con-
Meeting the well with the tank house
was soon destroyed, and the well,
spouting eighty barrels per hour,
began to flow into the open air,
throwing a column of fire two hun
bred feet into the air. The atmos-
phere was soon undearable, while
the earth trembled with the violence
of the flow. The fire burned with
increasing violence until noon, when
large iron funnel was tipped over
the mouth of the well during one of
the intermissions in the flow, and by
liberal application of steam the
fire, at 2 O'Clock yesterday afternoon,
was extinguished. The loss by the
fire is as follows: Three six humid
red barrel tanks, $3.50; over one
thousand barrels of oil in storage,
81 900; derrick and engine house,
$500; tank house, $3.50. Total, So
100. In addition to this the pump
was badly damaged and connections
destroyed. This loss falls to Messrs.
Thayer and Stethermer, of New
York. The loss at the Gordon No. /
falls on the Peoples Light and Heat
Company. The tools and cable were
in the Thayer well when it took fire,
and dropped to the bottom when the
rig burned. This will not benefit
the hole, and may ruin it as a
nroducor