Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-29
0NE0IL TANK BURNED.
The Fire Was Gotten Under Control
Yesterday Morning.
GORDON SANDERS AT M'DoNALD
Operations Are Active at Present in q
Number Of Ohio Counties

Operations Are Active at Present in .
Number Of Ohio Counties
HOW PETROLEUM WAS FIRST PRODUCED
The big fire at Meadow Lands which wal
reported exclusively in THE DIsPArCH
yesterday morning was gotten under con-
troll about 10 A NJ. yesterday. It was tank
No. 1S instead of No. II at first reported. II
contained almost $4,000 barrels Of oil,
which was all consumed, but by hard work
ON the part of the employees the fire wa,
confined to tank No. 18
No one was injured, and the story of 9
brave man, clothed in an asbestos suit
venturing into the flames to shut gate wai
. myth. Although the fire was within 9
couple of hundred feet of the Washington
branch of the Panhandle, traffic was but
ten minutes yesterday morning owing to an
obstruction on the tracks.
The loss is from $23, 900 to $50, 900 The
tank and oil belonged to the Southwest
Pennsylvania Pipe Line Company. The
oil burned with fendish ferceness
and the heat was so intense that few
could Withstand it long With astonishing
rapidity the fire grew and it was but short
time after the lightning struck 1t until
the entire top of the immense tank was q
seething mass of flames Assistant Super
intendent Egan was notified, and he imme-
diately took the precautionary steps toward
saving the numerous other tanks in danger
Gus proximity to the burning one. EN-
bankments were thrown up around the tank
by the 200 men whom the messengers, sent
out by the officials, collected in an astonish-
ingly brief period.
Threw Up Embankments.
The first work directed by the Superin-
tendent, E G. Wright, was the throwing up
of an embankment about 40 feet away from
the tank and when this was completed
another was thrown up about 40 feet behind
the first. These embsnkwents extended
around the tank and to complete them it
required the united labor of 200 men about
eight hours. A part of the men were
furnished by Hallam Bros, q number were
picked up around town and at o'clock q
reinforcement of 60 men came from Mans
field. The flames grew warmer as the work
advanced and it took a great deal of humor-
ing to keep the men at work. Many indeed
did desert the ranks Of the workmen and
they that remained were able to work but
three or four minutes at a stretch.
Throwing up the embankment was not
the only measure, that was adopted for the
protection of the other tanks. A large
boiler was procured and connections made
with all tanks In the immediate vicinity.
Had the burning oil broken through or
oyerran the, embankments it would have
reached the surrounding tanks and it was
with the view of e1tinguishing the flames
by steam that the latter precautions were
taken.
Shot Into tho Tank.
When these measures of safety were CON-
plete, q six-pound field piece was put in
position and after testing it a ball was fired
into the tank at 20 minutes past one yester-
day morning. The next instant a large
stream of oil gushed from the burning cal
dron and settled to the ground within the
inner trench. Someone threw brand into
the escaped fluid and it required only Sec
ond for the flames to kindle and shoot up
ward to join those escaping from the tank.
The scenic effect produced by the fire was
superb. and it is estimated that fully 5000
people came to see. one of the largest oil
fires in the history of the petroleum in
dustry in Washington county. The oil and
gas lgnited Immediately after the tank was
struck, and with every minute from that
time until the cannon did its work the
flames grew in height and intensity. Dense
volumes of smoke, mingled with fire, rose
mountain high over the tank and sank
again, only to be duplicated by another
burst of grandeur and still another, which
followed closely In its wake.
Wonderfully suggestive of what must
have been the awful condition of affairs at
Oil City and Titusville recently was the
unrivaled scene presented as the powerful
gas gave impetus to the flames and sent
them upward to paint the clouds and accu-
smoke CHASTITY lurid hue. Re-
flected onto the hillsides, the effect was
Lit up for miles in every direction.
The workmen we're paid 60 cents to 81 an
hour for their services.
Gordon Sand Wells Yesterday.
No big fifth sand wells were struck at Nc
Donald yesterday, but some Gordon sanders
were found The production, which had
been up to p, 800 on Tuesday; was down to
20, 500.
The Forest Oil Company's No on the
heirs farm is so small that it may
be rated as dry hole. 1t is gassins con-
siderably.
Only 50 feet from it is the Oakdale Gas
we'll on the Robb acre, which
started at IS barrels an hour, and is still
making almost 20 an hour.
J. NJ. Gufey & Co. IS No. 2 on the Andy
Shane farm, three-fourths of mile south
west of the old No Meise, was reported
last evening to be making Is barrels an
hour from the Gordon sand.
Greenlee & Forst's No. 2 on the Kirk
farm, located 900 feet south and east from
The Meise No. /, Is in the Gordon, and yes
terday afternoon the owners reported it as
making 20 barrels an hour.
The Forest Oil Company shot its old No.
on the Mrs Campbell farm. in the Meise
pool, and brought it up to 80 barrels an
hour.
Greenlee and Forst's No. 6 on the Mar
hall property at Noblestown was putting
ut 65 barrels an hour yesterday. They in
asst evening, and they believed it would in
crease with deeper drilling. 1t is now only
or 4 feet in the sand.
Guffey, Jennings q Co. 5 No. on the Clark
arm has been cased with the 5-inch and
hey expect to finish it up the tlrst of next
week. They will put the 5-inch casing in
No. Clark to-day.
BOYD Bros. are down 700 feet in their No
on the Douthett farm, at Mars
The Gauges.
The production of Mcdonald went down
900 barrels yesterday. The hourly gauges
If the larger wells at Mcdonald yesterday |
vere as follows: Robb No. 8, Florence Oil |
company. 26 Sinclair Oil Company's No. /,
0: Forst & Greenlee's No. McMurray. 20: |
Woodland Oil Company's No. Crawford, 20; |
'eople's Gas Company's No. Hs, 20; Oakdale
)il CQmpany's No. 9 Morgan, %; Forst 4
ireenlee's No. Marshall. so; jennings. Cuff
ey & Co.'S No. Heron. 20. The esti- |
mated production was $500. stock in the |
leld, $1,000.