Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-01-06

Water Barst and Held Suspended
There for Hoars-A Iisppy Rsssas.
A large number Of prominent oii men
from the various fields of Ohio. Indiana.
Pennsylvania. and West Virginia were
telling their experiences in the oil fields.
says ST. Mary's lohio) correspondent 81
the Pittsburg Dispatch This cue ;hat
most attracted attention was a thrill.ns
one by joe English. a well known COO
tractor. His story was as follows
:" was about 20 years old when the Gil
excitement broke cut ID our county. anl
was leading the uneventful life CT
farmers son. We lived on a farm CT 40
acres. within two miles Of a prosperous
town in Pennsylvania. and there was
little excitement tor any Of US unit! acme
oil rnen from Oil City came down ani
built rig Gu the Davis farm. about .
quarter Of mile from cur place. The
greasy fluid was struck in paying qCan
titles. | believe We drilled four wells.
and all are good producers
"No. Sacied strangely. The Day IL cam,
IN il filled two $50 barrel tanks "a four
hours. but we lost considerable oil be.
cause of lack of taDksge, The well
settled down, however. to about 800 bar.
rels day, and kept lowing at that rate
for about Ave days, when il petered Gus
altogether. Just 10 days after that well
quit lowing bad the straneest expeti.
snce that ever fell to the lot Of man
"one day was walking about the farm
when some delayed figure work occurred
10 me, and resolved TO 10 IL then and
there. The abandoned well was near ty
Knowing would be tecurs from intru.
siou there walked into the derrick 40
empty candy box. which | placed ever
the casing head. furnished good seat
Producing pencil and paper proceeded
in my own way to solve the problem OF
petroleum production. Ia just about two
minutes the well began squirting sali
water at furious rate aud with such tIe-
mendous force that was hurled high
into the air, box and all. There isno uso
trying to describe my feelings ] was
too thoroughly frightened TO have any.
All ] know man Of l75 pounds was
lifted violently heavenward.
~The column Of water evidently struck
the box exactly in the center, fcI we went
up as straight as plumb line What is
more. never changed my seat. and in
the very nature OF things it was impossi
BILE to do so. The squirting water was Of
sufficient volume to entirely ill the box
and send pretty heavy aqueous wall on
every side into the bargain. The box was
not large. and Of course my feet would
naturally hang over under ordinary cir.
cumstances. bus in this case the water
threw my legs upward This put me in
peculiarly uncomfortable yet singularly
safe position ! sat there. head aud legs
inclined, so that resenibled the letter v.
and was firmly held in that position by
the outpouring current.
Il must have gone up fully As feet. but
the initial force carried me higher than
it could hold me. aud I settled back about
IS feet. all the while maintaining the
same position. When | reached that
point where the attraction Of gravity ex.
actly counters the force OF water {
stopped. The point was fully 30 feet
from the ground. 1t was impossible fos
me to fall to either side and equally I'M.
possible TO fall straight down. foi the
spraying water played into that box with
terrific force The only movement felt
was the alternative rising and falling OF
the box occasioned by the contention be-
tween the attraction Of gravity and pro
pulsive force of gas and water The only
pain ] experienced was in my legs.
which soon became numb from the con.
stant pounding of the water
"The roar and the squirting water soon
attracted the attention OF the folks al the
house. and after them came the neighbors.
oil operators, and others. until there was
a crowd of several hundred people stand
ing around within safe distance OF the
descending water couldn't see much
OF them, aud, OF course, couldn't hear
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
They told me how my final rescue
came about. The well ceased flowing
gradually, and finally petered out alto.
gether 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 n
started. ] fell over on the derrick floor
and was nickad nm and carriod f,,t an