The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-19

lantern was broken somewhat and to
this fact alone is due the remarkable
things that followed While the old
man was milking the boring apparatus
struck the gas deposit in the bottom
of the hole. Instantly the gas shot
heavenward and with a force that
threw the bits, rods and everything
else out of the hole.
The gas spread all round the place
and far enough away to reach the Ian
tern and ignite. In a second the sky
was flame lit With the first rush Of
the gas the men at the derrick ran for
safety and yelled at the farmer, but
he was too slow and the first explosion
of the gas killed both him and the COW
by the conclusion.
The gas deposit seemed inexhaustible.
! All efforts to extinguish the flames
were futile. Experts were brought
from all over the world to try and de-
wise a means of putting out the fire,
but to no purpose. At night the sight
was a most beautiful one a monstrous
pillar of fire high in the heavens. From
his residence thirty-f1ve miles away,
Mr.. Byers used to sit on porch in he
evening and read newspaper. 1t was
one of the, prettiest sights he ever wit
messed.
But thus far the gas company had
met with constant expense and no
revenue. The gas discovery was made
in the fall of the year. By the follow
ing February the president of the COM
pany had worked out a plan that
eventually made every stakeholder a
millionaire and many residents of the
village became wealthy 1t was dis
covered as the season advanced that
the weather in that vicinity was much
warmer than it had ever been before
and there was very little snow In
fact, all that did fall was slushy and
soon melted and ran away The winter
Whereabouts was short owing to the
intense heat from the well and the
burning gas in the sky. By February
the trees were budding, and in March
were all in leaf and spring gardening
was at it's hight.
The locality became little summer
land oasis in a region of snow The
gas company began to advertise the
place as a health resort or a nearby
place for residents of that state and
New York to go and escape the rlgors
of winter. The gas company built
magnificent hotel for the entertain
ment of the thousands of visitors who
came, summer and winter, from all
over the world, some for health, but
more to satisfy their curiosity.
Among the many strange but easily
accounted for things that were sources
of much interest for the tourist and
profit to the hotelkeeper was the mat
ter of game supply. 1t had always
been a great country for the sports
men. Wild ducks, geese, partridges
and other game birds were found in
abundance. Frequently one would be
walking across an open. piece of coun-
try and down would fall a half dozen
wild ducks or other game birds that in
their flight had encountered the hot
wave from the burning we'll or been
asphyxiated by the gases above, and in
falling through the cloud of fire to the
earth would be nicely cooked and ready
for the table.
This we'll burned for nearly five years
and then stopped almost as suddenly
as it had begun. All efforts to renew
the gas supply by means of dynamite
were useless. At least, that is what
Mr. Byers said, but those who were
listening to the marvellous story think
there was more of it, and that Mr.
Byers cut it off short in time to attend
church.