Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-09-10

Thousands OF Barrels OF OIL Flown
Through the TOwn-yiiiage In Danger.

Thousands OF Barrels OF Oil Flowing
Through the TOwn-yiiiage In Danger.
PITTsBuRe, September 9.-Another
experiment was made Yesterday in the
oil field that resulted in the loss OF
probably thousands of barrels OF the
fluid. Garland & Hayes, not content
to let good thing stand as IT was. un-
dertook to learn "whether hitting it a
few clips" would improve their No.
Miller, at Mcdonald, and they learned
more than they wanted 10 know. The
production of the we'll has been stand
ing at from % to 40 barrels an hour
ever since it was first struck, several
weeks ago, but had never been drilled
any after it first began to flow. 1t was
| with view of improving upon that out
| put that 1t was determined to run the
tools few minutes yesterday and note
the effect.
The effect was almost instantly pro-
duced and it was one that may yet prove
| TO be disastrous, II it has not already
done so. 1t was discovered that the
| real oil reservoir had never been tapped
| in that well, but that what it had been
doing was but drop in the bucket COM
pared to what it was capable of doing.
As soon as the sand at the bottom had
been disturbed little the well began
to flow with vastly increased violence.
| II flowed until the tanks were filed and
OVERLOOKING, and the waste was running
down the hill toward Robb valley. The
pipeline pumps were urged TO more
speedy service and all was taken away
in that manner that possibly could be,
perhaps so to 100 barrels an hour, but
even then it was calculated by specta-
tors that as mach more was being lost,
and the rate of the flow for that reason
could not be measured.
The most serious thing connected with
these circumstances is not the loss the
owners sustain by so much OF their oil
going to waste, but the extreme peril In
which it places the town of Mcdonald.
Things were bad enough there before,
when people living near any OF the big
wells on town lots could scarcely light
match or have lights or fires in their
houses because Of danger Of igniting
the gas that hung around them like
pail on still damp nights. The danger
is now greatly augmented by this new
complication. No. l Miller Is at the
head of a depression or shallow ravine
that debouches into the Robb valley on
it's northern side, just above the town
limits. The overflow from the well rolls
down that ravine into Robb run and
thence down directly through the mid
die of the town, into Robinson run,
which crosses through the southern
part of the borough. Those streams,
therefore, contain more oil than water
below the points at which it Is received.
In case it Is ignited in any way and at
almost any point it is certain to sweep
with total destruction everything along
its course. No earthly power that could
be applied would avail to stop it. Slug
giSh little Robb run winds it's devious
course around and among twenty or
thirty wells, with their rigs and tanks,
and twice as many residences, places Of
business and other structures line its
banks, all of which would be certain to
go, and in going carried destruction to
an equal number of all kinds OF either
Such q scene cannot be
imagined, for il is one that has happily
very seldom In tho oil country.
The Cook we'll fire would be merely an
amusing bonfire In comparison with it.
If the people of Mcdonald are safe yet
this morning, all they can do to avert
terrible catastrophe is to adopt the most
stringent and vigilant precautions re
prevent that oil from UeCUming lgnlteu'