The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-18
SUPPORTED BY TIE WATER.
A Man Dancing on Well Stream
Fifty-hve Feet in the Air.
Esrona fhs ToJaJo PJoJa

hubH-uV0 r 00C IN Jl9 Air.
From the Toledo Blade.
A large number of prominent oil mon
from the various fields of Ohio, Indiana,
Pennsylvania and West Virginia were tell
ing their experiences in the oil fields re-
Gently. The one that mostly attracted
attention was a thrilling one by Joe English,
well-known contractor. His story was as
follows:
~ was about 20 years old when the oil ex-
element broke out in our country, and was
leading the uneventful life OF farmers
son. We lived on a farm Of 140 acres.
within two miles OF a prosperous town in
Pennsylvania, and there was little excite
ment for any of US until some OF the oil men
from Oil City came down and built
rig on the Davis farm, about a quarter of
mile from our place. The greasy fluid was
struck in paying quantities. A grand rush
for territory followed, and in a very short
time the farms around us were dotted with
derricks, and the quiet country soon changed
to one of that peculiar hustle and activity
seen daily in the oil country. | had put
down several wells on the farm, and with
fair success.
II believe we had drilled in four wells,
and all very good producers. No. 3 acted
strangely on US. The day IL came in it filed
two 250~barrel tanks in four hours, and we
| tankage. The we'll settled down, however,
| to about 306 barrels day, and kept flowing
at that rate for about five days, when it
petered out altogether. Just twelve days
| after that we'll quit flowing l had the
| strangest and most peculiar experience that
ever fell to the lot of man.
zone day was walking about the farm
when some delayed figure work occurred to
me and resolved to do it then and there
| The abandoned we'll was near by. Knowing
l would be safe from intrusion the 9,
walked into the derrick. An empty candy
| box, which placed over the casing head
| furnished a good seat. Producing pencil
and paper proceeded in my own way to
solve the problem of petroleum production.
| In just about two minutes the well began
squirting salt water at furious rate, and
with such tremendous force that l was
| hurled high into the air, box and ALL There
| is no use trying to describe my feelings
l was too thoroughly frightened to have
any.
"All know man of IT'S pounds was
lifted violently heavenward.
1.-The column of water evidently struck
the box exactly in the center, for we went
up as straight as plumb line. What is
more never changed my seat. and in the
very nature of things It was impossible to
do so. The squirting water was OF sufficient
| volume to entirely fill the box and send
pretty heavy aqueous wall on every
side into the bargain. The book was not
| large, and, of course, my feet would nat
urally hang over under ordinary circum-
stances, but in this case the water threw
my legs upward This put me in a pecul-
| iarly uncomfortable, yet singularly safe, po-
sition. | sat there, head and legs inclined
so that l resembled the letter V and was
| firmly held in that position by the outpour-
ing torrent
hox Oil q
feet, but the initial force carried me higher
than it could hold me. and l settled back
about fifteen feet, all the while maintain
ing the same position. When l reached
that point where the attraction of gravity
exactly counters the force of water l
stopped. The point was fully thirty feet
from the ground. 1t was impossible for
me to fall on either side, and equally i'm
possible TO fall straight down, for the
spraying water played into that box with
| terrific force.
1.-THE only movement felt was the alter-
native rising and falling of the box &C.
casloned by the contention between the at
traction Of gravity and propulsive force of
gas and water. The only pain l experienced
was In my legs, which soon became numb
| from the constant pounding OF water.
"The roar and the squirting water soon
attracted the attention of the folks at the
| house, and after them came the neighbors,
| oil operators and others, until there was a
crowd of several hundred people standing
around within safe distance OF the descend
ing water. l couldn't see much OF them,
and of course couldn't hear a word they
said. Gradually the pain seemed to grow
| less, and the next knew was in bed, and
in dreamy way saw the folks standing
around.
''lhey told me how my final rescue came
about The well ceased flowing gradually,
aud finally petered out altogether. AS the
column Of water dropped the box, with its
now insensate burden, came down with il
and rested exactly over the mouth Of the
well whence it started. fell over on the