The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-12
IS HE a HOODOO?
The Strange Record OF y Man who seems
To BE Pursued by OIL ConHngrntions

IS HE 4 HoODOOa
The Strange Record OF Man who seems
To he Pursued by OIL Conna grntious.
I'm the spring of 1861" said we'll known
Western railroad travelling agent i went to
the oil regions to seek my fortune remem.
Der that got to littlo oil town called Rouse
vile about supper time one evening early in
April. A flowing oil we'll had Just been struck
there. and 1t was spouting at the rate OF 100
barrels an hour. Flowing oil wells were a
great curiosity in those days. for l think this
was only the second or third one that had boon
struck. Tho oil was thrown into the air fifty
feet or more by this we'll. and as thore was no
way to store petroleum 1t was simply flowing
about In streams on the ground All the en-
Gno fires about the we'll were put out as soon
as the oil began to gush. and n score or moro
OF men and boys went to work digging trenches
and throwing UP dams to prevent the oil from
spreading. was one Of many curious spec
tators who hurried to gazo upon the strange
sight and were grouped about the we'll.
"A danger then unknown accompanied that
great outpouring Of oil. An imncnse volume
OF gas was generated. and that. increasing
with tho flow of oil. spread slowly in every di-
rection. The well had been spouting inces-
sanity for two hours when suddenly there
came q great flash. tremendous roar. and
the whole air seemed sheet OF flame in n Soc
ond's time. The great jet OF spouting oil be-
came q pillar Of livid fire. while the volume of
gas above It, to the height Of more than hun
dred feet. was flashing. exploding. and lenp-
ing upward In ferocious tongues OF flame.
Every derrick. building. and engine house
within an area Of seventy rods seemed to be
simultaneously wrapped in fire. The gas. in
spreading about. had come in contact with the
nrac ~ koI
away. which was the cause of the great and
instantaneous connagration. During this
fearful combustion the sounds of the exrlo-
sions and the war Of the surginG flames wero
like tho rushing OF some overpowerng hufri-
oann through forest.
AS soon as tho column OF oil became pill
lar Of fro the burning oil fell like water from a,
fountain over space a hundred feet in diam
eter. each drop coming down as q blazing
globe OF boiling petroleum. The ground
around the we'll was one wall Of flame which
the falling oil constantly increased. Fortu-
nately for me. 1 was far enough away to be
out Of danger. but the sickening incidents OF
the confagraton were plainly spread before
me. and can see them yet. Scores Of tho by
ISLANDERS were thrown fiat on the ground for
thirty feet around. Many Of them rcgancd
their feet and came rushing. all ablazc. from
the ssethng lire. Just within the NV;
T f men boiling the IN the smS Sazbs c oil c4
an instant. and then they were gone. could
stand tY see it no more. and fled from tho
and that we'll and six others that had caught
fire from it were burning yet. 1 had gono to
ss @ 5So ta he seek ssb noo4 On the
county % S hIss a"a never Ss@
first terrible oil conflagration in the history Of
petroleum production. but know that a score
during, the three days | was there. and they
were al believed to have perished in that fire.
Was o Fserpsy e e
south FIN Street near washnsto D t ayenu IL,
who lived in south Tenth street. near tho
On our way home. as We were walking down
Washington avenue. the sound OF Il terrific ex-
plos d{I,oHt filed the air. and 50 close t. us
The next instant flames shot W nearly
eprosdte to r Ts and in less than two
down that side Of tho street. We Narrowly
escaned it by running: An oil refinery or
ploded. and. in less time than it takes me to
tell it. that whole block was a seething mass Of
iamSs; The burning II ran down the sIc
ing them with flames twenty feet high. and
sweeping everything before it. ! read in the
known to have persisted In the conilagration,
which ragged all night. with awful destruction
pro 1Ir"pGisty which wHs the SECOND rghu
cur away from the oil regions.
$50 h4yinG been fer many years on tho
Bradford. then the great centre OF oil rroduc-
tion. to SEQ a. relat i've OF mine who was an oil
that he was Operating at rev City. a now an and
TO Rev City. and while was trying t, find the
trall OF my relative a torpedo exploded at IL
well in the vicinity, and in less than two hours
not house was LETT standing in lev CITY. 400
semetIns f ike barrels e 81 oil IN ank a
were consumed. found my relative
anG t,o wsSt ph h.i Esen pra StnS4
was a heavy loser y the fire. Three days
tI,er H. started ia iodt with him to go the scene q
Rixford. couple of miles from Rev City
where my relative had some business Willie
out in tho town. which was filled with d"rrcks.
Suddenly heard a loud explosion. and Sec
nsG5 saw tho %ba IN mSs In
hundred shafts Of fire leapinG up from as many
wells about the place. seyenty;flye buildinGs.
OF. went UP in that con llaCration.
4, 1T had never struck mo before. but while
ha ds sen II t9 me- all Of
my share Of oil tlre disasters. and gave my |
FeatES Fe he "a that Tsfps that
In this country. for there are men here who |
would show yGu your way out of it in a man
no! you WOulnn care 10 sOI
saw that he meant it. and left those |
parts without much delay
=, In June. 1881. was in Buffalo. and found |
that ! had to 60 to Titusvllle to perfect some |
business was arranging. l don't believe 1 |
had been IN Titusville an hour when ono u tho |
most terrific thunder storms ever saw came |
up, The thunder and lightning were frghtfui. |
and Mt the hei ght OF the storm lightning Struck
n immense iron oil tank filed with oil In |
SANITY tho tank was ablaze. A host Of other |
'IE tanks were n line with this one. and one
ID threateninrIy toward e the Citnzing o pour
= the iames; the exploding tanks and the
he path Of the confiaGration. comGi.cd With
ne sharp and piercing lightning the crashing
hunder and tho pouring rain. made n scene to
III the 6 Dr heart with terror. and was ono
loomed. and but for tho happy thought 81
ome level headed person in tho panic stricken
own nothing could have saved thu nIacr
rh t person suggested the piercing near the
'ootO WIN cannon bails the oil tanks whose
night Z, be made and the oil drawn out and tho
I. The experiment was quickly tried ana il
vas successful. Tank after tank was ernptioI
II whph ct l. 4