Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-30
INTO A PILLAR OF FIRE
4 MINING EXPERT FACES DEATH 70
EABN $1,000.

william III. Marvin's Hazardous At
tempt to Remove the Caps OF . BarA-
ing Gas WsIl-COversd with Asbestos
and Wet Cloths, He Succeeds, but
suffers Terribly i'm the Effort.
Some few days ago the Ruthvan, On
tario, gas we'll was set aiire, 1t is sup
posed, by some disgruntled laborer. The
cap over the top of the pipe was so fixed
that the escaping gas rushed out directly
toward the ground and made safe ap-
proach impossible. The roar could be
heard in Kingsville, three miles away.
Local mechanism found 1t impossible
to remove the cap. The heat was SIM
ply uncomfortable and grew worse every
day. Gas experts from Ohio were called
to the scene, but they, too, gave 1t up.
The ground around the well became
baked and when workmen tried to cool
1t with u stream from fire engine the
water went up in cloud OF steam before
1t had fairly struck the ground. All idea
Of cooling off the ground was given up.
The owners of the we'll offered 81 900 to
any one who would remove the cap.
William H. Marvin. mining expert,
who had some acquaintance with natural
gas, undertook the Job. He tried several
schemes for removing the cap by aid of
long lever, but they all failed, for the
reason that his lever would melt away
under the fierce heat as soon as he got 1t
near enough to work. He determined to
90 near the we'll himself and cut off
the cap. 1t looked like certain death for
any one to approach the well, and even
the owner advised Marvin to give up the
idea. He made suit of asbestos that
was unique in its way, 1t was his pur-
pose to go right up to the we'll, through
the gas flame, and place cold chisel
pounded on the chisel until the cap gave
way.
The first attempt was q signal failure.
Marvin only reached the flame, when he
retreated. He had worn heavy pair Of
cowhide boots, covered with wet cloths,
and before he got to the flame the cloth
had dried and burned away, and his
boots were half burned off So great
was his hurry to escape that he dropped
his cutting contrivance and was dismayed
to see it get red hot before his eyes. For
his next trial he wore a pair of rubber
boots and inside these thrust his feet
wound in dampened rags. Outside the
boots he put a heavy covering OF asbes-
tos. His coat of asbestos was cone shape,
His arms stuck out through two holes in
the cone and were wound in several
thicknesses of wet cloth, which was COW
cred with heavy coating of asbestos.
His contrivance for cutting the pipe con-
sisted of a long and very sharp chlsel.
fastened at right angles to an iron staff.
In approaching the we'll he slid the cone
along the ground, seeing his way through
glass set in the front. His assistant was
rolled like himself and carried long iron
bar, on which was fastened a small far
rier's hammer. Two hundred people saw
thu daring men make this approach to
the iiame, and as Marvin disappeared in
its circle a shudder swept over the on
lockers. There We're not Il half dozen in
the crowd that expected to see Marvin
come out alive, but in a second that
seemed like an age they saw the edge OF
the chisel resting up against the pipe,
Just below the cap, Almost breathlessly
they watched the assistant make stroke
at the chlsel in Il clumsy kind of way.
He did not hit it. The second trial was
more successful; he hit the chisel
squarey but lightly. The cone in the
ring of fire wavered and cry of Hes
barued TO death" went up on all sides.
The cone moved again, the chisel fell and
the Teople could see that Marvin was
coming out.
Everybody thought that he mad given
up in sheer despair, but not so. He had
come out OF the fire to get rcst and air,
He was nearly suffocated. When the
cone was lifted off Marvin, for he was
too weak to lift it off himself, he was a
sight to behold. His face was scarlet
and his eyes protuded like door knobs.
He was half roasted and it took him two
hours TO recover. Then he pluckily de-
termined to try it again. His cone was
thoroughly wet and he fixed up another
chisel, saying, as the cone was put over
him, that he would succeed or never
come out alive.
The crowd cheered him and then
watched him approach certain success of
death. Again the hammer and chisel
were brought into play, and little by lit
tie the people could see that the man $
skill and pluck would win. All at once
the roar of the we'll changed 10 q shrill
whistle, and the cap was blown 100 feet
upward, while Marvin's cone stood at
the foot of the pipe motionless. 1t was
some minutes before 1t moved and the
people thought again that he had per-
ished in his attempt. His assistant was
badly burned and had to be taken TO the
hotel Tor as istance. When Marvin S
cone began to move the people sent up a
Tremendous shout and the more venture
some laa as far a. they could on the hot
ground 10 reach him. He was taken out
and revived, badly scorched, but not
hurt otherwise.
Marvin had earned his 81 900. He put
a coutrivance ON the pipe to shut off the
flow of ga, an noW I.uthvan Is quiet
from the d"alcHiug roar. MarYinS cap
is shaped lill,. the letter L, and was
placed on the p pc after three trial. The