Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-12-15
RetWeen Earth and Sky.


A large number OF prominent oil nen ftora
the vArlous feds of Oaic, Indiana, Pennssl-
veuls ard West Virginia, wsre telling ihe!'
experiences 10 the oil Goids, says g.
Msry's (O.) correspondent OF tbs Pitttkurg
Dispatch The one that most attracted 81
ten.!oa was thrilling one by Jce 'elieh,
weil-knoWn contractor. His story Tas as
fol!o@s:
"I was about 90 years cl3 wbeu the el! OK
ci: emen6 broke cut IN our country enG Was
:eadlGg The uneyeDtlul life Cf q farmers scu.
We lived on farm Of 140 acres, within te
miles OF q prosperous town in PsnusJ Jlva1ia,
and there wac little excitement for any Of
Us until scme of ths Gil mep fsm o. Iiy
caIne down and built rig on ihs DAVE
farm, ABOUT qasrter of mile lrou our
place. The greasy fnid vas Slrrck 10 ray
ire quantities l bsieVe va drilled f1ur
wellp, and all were good producers
"No. acted strangely. Tee day Il cane
u Il flied Two 250 barrel tsLk 10 four hours.
tut we lost considerable Gil beceps- OF G eck
of ssnkage The we'll setlsd down, how
ever, 10 about 300 barrels dey, acd kept
hawing ct that rate for sbont hVa Gays,
wbea il petered out altogether. Jast twelve
days ef;er that we'll quit fo1lng had the
s,rsugest experience that ever fell 10 he loi
Of man.
"One day was walking about tbe farm
ahen scme delayed figure work occurred
20 me, and / resolved to do it then aod
there. The abandoned we'll wes nsar by.
KuoWing / would be secure from intrusion
there walked into the derrick. Au emptg
osndy-box, which placed oyer the CASING
head, furnished good sest. Producing G
pacoil ard paper proceeded in my oTu
wa3 to solve the problem in petroleum pro-
duction. In Just about two minutes toe
8eli began squirting salt water at furious
rate ard with such tremendous force that l
@as hurled high toto the air, bo1 and all,
There is no nee trying to describe my fsel-
ings. was too thoroughly f.Rhteaed to
have any. All know men OF 175 pounds
gas life d violently hesvenWstd.
The column OF water evidently struck
tie box exactly In lhs centre, for We went
40 as straight as q plumb line. What is
more, never changed my seat. and In the
0ery nature OF things 1t was impossible to
do 80. TIE squirting water vas OF sufficient
volume to entirely fiil the box and send a
pretty heavy sq1eous wall on every side
into the bargain. The box was not large,
and OF course 10Y feet Wonld naturally hang
over under ordinary oircums,enoee, bus In
this case the water threw my legs upwards.
This p1t me In g peculiarly uncomfortable,
set sirgnsrly ssfs position. l eat there,
head and legs inclined. go that l resembed
ihs letter V, and was firmly held in that po-
sition by the outpourlng current.
I must have gone up fully forty-Hve feet,
but the initial foroe carried me higher tbsD
1t could hold me, and I settled back about
ffteen feet, al the while maintaining the
ssme position. When reached the point
where tbe attraction OF gravity exactly
ccuDters The force OF water stopped. The
point vas fully thirty feet from the ground.
It was impossible for me TO fell 10 elthsE
side and equally impossible to fall straight
dowr for lhe eprsying watsr played ioto
thst tox with terrible forcs The only
movement felt was the alternative rising
and falling of the box occssioned By the
contention between the attraction o! gravity
and propulsive force OF gas and water. The
only pain 1 experienced was in my lags,
which soon became numb from the constant
pounding Of the water.
The roar and the squirting water soon 81
tracted the attention ofthe FOLKS ct tbs house,
apd after them came the neighbors. oil ope.
fators ard others, until there was a crowd
OF aeVerel hundred people standing around
within safe distance of the descending wa
ter. couidn's see much OF them, and, OF
| courso, couldn't hear a word they ssid.
Grsdually the pain seemed to grow less,
and the next knew I was In bed, and
in dreamy way saw lhe 70 ks atlnding
around.
''They toli ms how my fuel rescue came
| about. The we'll ceased d,wirg gradually,
and finally petered out altogether. As the
column OF water dropped the box with LIS
| now insensate burden, came down with it
and rested exactly ever the mouth Of the
we'll whence 1t started. fsll over On the
derrick floor and was picked up aud carried
out, and then put into the house."