The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1889-08-15
IN A FOUNTAIN or FLAMES.
William q. Marvin Earns $1,000 B.
PIunGinG Into Burning Gas.
dPeds watch ElAs Daring Feat
and Despair 81 HIs Escape.

that the incendiary was some disgruntle
laborer. The cap over the top Of the pip,
was 20 fixed that the escaping gas ruslIe'
out directly towards the ground and made
safe approach to It impossible. The roar
Of the gas rushing out could be heard i'm
Kingsville,'three miles away. Local me-
chanics found it impossible to remove the
cap. Each one gave 1t up after the fins
Trial. The heat was simply uncomfortable
and grew worse every day. Gas expert,
from Ohio were called to the scene, bu'
they, too, gave it up. The ground around
the well became baked, and when work
Iheu'triedt 70 cool II with stream from I
fire engine the water exhaled in cloud
Of steam before it had fairly struck tn,
ground. All idea Of cooling off the ground
was given up.
The owners Of the well offered Sl,OOl
10 any one who would remove the cap.
William H. Marvin, a mining expert who
had some acquaintance with natural gas,
undertook the job. He tried several
schemes for removing the cap by aid Of II
long lever, but they all failed for the
reAsen that his lever would melt away
under the fierce neat as soon us It got
near enough to work. He determined to
60 near enough to the well himself to cut
of the cap. It looked like certain death
for any one to approach the well, and
even the owners advised Marvin to give
up the idea. He vas not easily fright
ened and last week prepared to make the
attempt. He made suit Of asbestos that
was unique in its way and yet proved
successful after little tinkering. 1t was
his purpose to so right up to the well
through the gas fame and place q cold
chisel against the pipe, while his assist
ant pounded on the chisel until the cap
gave way. The 6rst attemptwas a signal
failure. Marvin only reached the flame
when he retreated. He wore n heavy
pair Of coW.hide boots, covered with wet
cloths, and before he got to the fame the
cloths had dried and burned away and
his boots were half burned off. So great
was his hurry to escape that he dropped
his cutting continuance and was dismayed
to see it get red hot before his eyes. In
his next trial he wore pair Of rubber
boots, and inside these thrust his feet
wound in dampened rags. Outside the
boots he put heavy covering Of asbestos.
His coat Of asbestos was Sone-shRped.
His arms stuck out through two holes in
the cone and were wound in several thick
nesses Of wet cloth, which WIS covered
with q heavy coating Of asbestos. His
continuance for cutting the pipe consisted
Of long and very sharp Chisel, fastened
at right angles TO m iron staff. In APP
preaching the well he slid the cone along
the ground, seeing his way through a
glass set 10 the front. His assistant was
robed like himself, and carried a long
iron bar on which was fastened Il small
farrier's hammer.
Two hundred men saw the daring men
make this approach to the fame. and as
Marvin disappeared in its circle shudder
swept over the onlookers. There were
not half dozen in the crowd who ex-
pected to see Marvin come out alive, but
in a minute-it seemed like an age-they
saw the edge Of the chisel resting up
against the pipe, just below the cap. Al
most breathlessly they watched the as
sistant make y stroke at the chisel in u
clumsy kind Of way. He did not hit it.
Tho second trial was more successful; he
hit the chisel squarely, but lightly. The
cone In the ring Of fire wavered, and a
cry Of He's burned to DEATH ~ went up
on all sides. The cone moved again, the
chisel Iell and the people could see that
Marvin was coming out. Everybody
thought that he had given up in despair;
but not 70. He had come out Of the fire
to get rest and air. He was nearly suho-
Gated. His assistant lost no time in get
ting away from the fearful heat.
when the cone was lifted of Marvin
for be was too weak to lift it off himself
he was sight to behold. His face was
like scarlet and his eyes prOtruded like
.dOor-knobs. He was half roasted and it
took him two hours to recover. Then he
pluckiIy determined to try again.
He had his cone thoroughly dreRched
and he fixed up another chisel, saying, as
the cone was put over him, that he would
succeed or never come out alive. Again
the hammer and chisel were brought into
play, and little by little the people could
see that the mans skill and pluck would
win. All at once the roar Of the well
change to'R shrill whistle, and the cap
was blown hundred feet upward, while
Marvin's cone stood at the foot Of the
pipe motionless. 1t was some minutes
before it moved, and the people thought
again that he had persisted In his attempt
His assistant was badly burned and had
to be taken TO the hotel for assistance.
When Marvin's cone began to move the
people sent up n tremendous shout and
the more venturesome ran forward as far
as they could on the hot ground to reach
him. He was taken out and revived.
He was badly scoched, but not hurt
otherwise. The thing was success and
Marvin had earned his 5000. A few
days aiterward- Marvin put contrivance
on che pipe toshut oG the tiow Of gas, and