The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1890-02-01
A PETROLEUM VOLCANO.


4 spectacle. III. Like a, y.h..h Stay Sewer
Again ~. seen
Petroleum. or " ock oil. according
10 tho present theory Of IL origin Is
= di.tlllata from the remains Of marine
life, both animal and vegetable II
sometimes finds its way to the top OF
the ground and forms springs, rs does
water; but II is moro frequently held
down. mt a great pressure. by hard
!mpervious. rocky strata. lying above
tho oil-b.aring beds; and when In such
cases IA hole or ''wel." Is d He'd down
to II. through tho superintendent
mass. 1, gushes up with great force,
Within tho last ten years tho holy
land OF tho rarsaes hh, become the
seat OF vast petroleum trade. baku
|. now II grand kerosene oil refinery.
Tho Industry Is not yet A. fully do
yeloped there ~ Ia our own oil region
Of P.nnsyiyanla. feuusy yaala has
nearly thirty Thousand o.l-wolli.
ngain,, av. hund cd NJ isku. EuI
the nys hundred baku wells nro die
charging as much i,-t 'uIeum to-day IA
tn. thirty thou5anI American wells
Al Bsku tho oil Is nearer the sur
face OF tho ground than In Prnnsy.-
vania American oiI-v..is average
nearly fifteen hundred feet In depth
Will. In Baku tho average depth j.
scarcely six hundred feet In Amarl-
.a. too. the diameter Il %! wells j.
but ni-ou, i've inches. while ghpis NJ
Basu arc rarely dr.ila! los, than "a
foo; In diameter.
Tho discharge Of ~ and gas from
some of tho wells ~ iiasu has b,'on 80
profusp and violent that nero state.
mon, OF tho facts borus too fnnrycloub
for belief Thee fAet,. however. como
10 u, w-ll ntt.atcL
In ono cn,o where u we'll wns bnlug
drilled. tho nuRer. or drill. 1T n depth
of Nv. hundred and seventy foot. sud.
denly penetrated 10 tho oil strata anu
was blown bodily on; OF ;h1 shat. With
tremendous ylolgaco. Wlih II roar
,ha, could 10 plalAiy heard Il, dis
,ano. Of Ia" mIl"-. tho sas blew OF
Tor some minl,.ts. and vas followed by
All equally terrible blast II oil.
Tho derrick which had supported
tho drill was seventy Ice, In height
Tho 10, Of Oh ani -and blow away tho
top OF tho derrick ard rn-n two hun
ar-i feet Aiuyu r. AL efforts Va check
tho discharge By llucs.ng tho shat,
proved u,clr o.. Lns plugs. and even
hug, stone. urra thrHuu niiln Ike
feather Throughout september and
ociobpr this gryH1s continued 10 do
charge oil At tho 'ui, Of nearly two
million. of gallons day. Pools aEd
lakes. broad nnd do1p cuough 20 row
boats on. ~uru formed ON tho ad!nc~n,
plain. and n rooi-'izrA brook Of 20.
tr"l.,nm flowed irnm ,hen do~n,o tho
s-a- -
with tho oil accumulated In hugo
drl:,s burylng tho arigiloring dor.
rick. along with several shops. tank.
and other buildings. Tho sand and oil
dr!iiod Irsi 20 ono E!ic. th1n TO III,
other. AnnorSiiur 70 ;hg direction II Tho
wind. and n vast mound Was formed.
having a haGo'rahAIrj depression. or
crater. nj ;ho oggilf. NArlco tho Ict
issued.
ihl- e-ntrF 0r.Gcr. or crater. con-
.;sH,ly ot-,ruci1d uy ,Lo slnd. pec-
scn,.d the Appearance 81 - wildly
soothing caldrug. Which 10 was dan.
rcsous 10 approach AZ lb1 G-cs In
tho vicinity urfr psI.r.-rI he'd 10 pro-
ven, oSp!u-i,at and CONGREGATIONS
Thus. day E'iHr jrr agi unsk ai,er
week. THE ull fIIr'HiH continued TO
play. presenting. 20 is aHs'i by those
who sa'. Il. % truly .rsaa aai memoir
able spectacle
II !. csiinhtr,l tiaf raf less itrn nyc
hundred thousand toms % oil vcru
spouiej forth igTiur ihu months Of it,
unrestricted lpw, n.ar y AL IT which
rnn IL wa7,ol IN America this crude
oil would have uern sarlh NJ least I've
millions ut dH.,p--, SO. thr uuiurlu.
nat. company that dFi'itd tho vol.
being quite unable g. control II. was
ruined by tho damages which II oc.
casioncd to d. ighbn.r. Unwilling.
~ q monster had boon lot loose which
no one could capture or carb.
Tho RG1. Elan Government wns n,
length Appealed 30 Zoe assistance. md
two imperial cnrinocrs visited Bnku.
10 SEQ what could DO duuu to this cnd.
They wCra ablp 10 drvisc nothing
which succeeded. however aud II "a
no, till laio In December ut that ycar.
when the roys"r hHd spent IA first
violence, that a rra.drnt engineer sue
cccdcd la hgiGg = esp ~ uu,.ur iron
over tho mouth ~ tho orii.cr mud Of
fcc,ually ''gasg.us Il Youth Com
panion.