Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1901-10-06
GREATEST GAS GUSH.
The Guffey Well at Beaumont Is In
Ruins by the Catastrophe.
ANOTHER SUFFERS.
The Casing Thrown into the Air, the
Derrick Demolished and the
workmen Narrowly Escape.
Loss Exceed $4,000.

Beaumont lex Oit. o.-Ane u. W.
Guffey Petroleum company. McFadden
No. 3. struck gas pressure yesterday
which exceeded anything OF the kind
ever seen here before. and completely
demolished the derrick and drilling rig.
At 4 O'Clock in the afternoon the Ira o.
wyse- Beaumont Oil company's well on
block 81 in tho Hogg-Swayne syndicate.
also struck gas pocket which blew out
the pipe. tore down the pipe. tore down
the derrick and demolished everything
about the rig.
The two performances were quite tho
most remarkable which have ever 90.
Cured in this field. and certainly the
greatest pressure Of patural gas ever
seen anywhere in the world.
At the Guffey we'll the s-inch casing
was set at something less than 900 feet
and the contractor was operating with
a COO foot string Of 6-inch pipe with a
shoe at the bottom. IL was apparent
that the we'll was about ready to come
In, and they were watching Il very
closely. but not close enough 10 discover
what remarkable accident was about
20 happen Without moments warn.
ing the gas seemed to burst in the well
and the 900 feet Of 6-inch standard drill
ling pipe began to shoot upward. The
rotary locked ON the pipe and was car
ricd out the top OF the derrick, fastened
to the pipe. as though it was an ordi.
nary nipple The pipe was carried clear
Of the well. and consequently the top
end Of IL was some thousand feet in the
air when the last piece cleared the top
Of the casing. AS the pipe with the
large rotary went through the derrick,
IL smashed the wood work into kind.
ling wood and scattered IL in every di.
reotion.
No one knows just how the men ca.
capped without injury, but IL is a fact
that not one Of the six or seven men at
the rig was harmed in the least But
there was some brisk scrambling when
the accident occurred. Men started out
over the prairie and did not stop until
they reached a remote spot free from
falling debris Several teams attached
10 buggies took fright at the monster
noise and went pell nell over the
country. Ordinary efforts fail TO pic
ture adequately the excitement OF the
scene and the fearful noise which can
not be likened to anying in ordinary
life.
Following the drilling pipe came a
torrent Of water and rock which shot
fully 1000 feet into the air. Some Of the
rocks were from 90 to 30 pounds weight.
Some OF the spectators declare that the
rocks were 1000 feet in the air. The
truth is, no one can tell how high they
went, because they disappeared In the
sky and could not be followed with the
eye until they started downward again.
The well continued 20 blow for about
an hour and then choked OF Of its own
accord and grad ually died out The
sand from the stream Of water was car.
ried a distance Of 1000 feet from the
well and left the prairie coated TO the
leeward side Of the derrick.
The well is a complete ruin, and the
loss 10 the Guffey company will amount
70 about $4,000.
The pipe shot out Of the Ira o. Wyse
well similar TO that Of the Guifey but
not so strong. The men around escaped !
narrowly The Wyse well is consider
ably damaged.