The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-07-02
IGUSHER WENT WILD.
DnaI Well at Beaumont Gave a
Most Unusual Performance.
jSED TO FLOW FOR SEVERAL HOURS
III, Just as the Gate Valve Was
Taken OF. II Came with a Rush.
N Another "Gasser" Struck.

|eanmont, Texas, July 1.-The well OF
National Oil and Pipe Line company
nished spectacle today that has not
IL witnessed since the Lucas was
be1 after having flowed for ten days
oll well run Wild.
be valve of the well was opened yes
1aE morning. but for some reason the
i REFUSED to gush. The valve was left
~ all day, and still the oil refused TO
WI The well was opened again this morn
,sbut the oil refused to come, and those
clfirge concluded that It was choked up
rocks or sand. Thinking the well would
7e to be bailed, they unserewed the sec
apf pipe containing the gate valve, en-.
III removing II from the casing.
'bis had hardly been done before a
can of oil shot about sixty feet above
Derrick and began to inundate the sur
|nding country with oil. The men who
1femoved the pipe were dumfounded at
ak followed, but as soon as possible they
WORD to the office of the company in
lefty. President Henry of the company
Mt out to the well and set about the
k# of controlling the flow of oil He
ered gang of men $500 to shut 1t on.
eN fastened some tlmbers on the section
plpe that contained the gate valve, sus-
zcfd 1t above the top of the casing and
tEtt to guide IL on to the casing by
aAs of the timbers. They would raise
ssectlon Of pipe by means of a pnlley
al 1t would clear the top of the casing
1 fhen they would push the lower end Of
sshort section of pipe over the end of
.faslng. When this was done the oil
aid spray all over the men. completely
anthlng and binding them, and they
lid only work at 1t for a few seconds,
eh they were forced to retire or be suf
'afed. They made the effort several
ifk. hut before they could make the coup
Bill they were forced to abandon their
'hf well began sporting at noon. After
Ming nearly -four hours it was shut OF
3f45 p. m. During this time it spouted
vi or 5000 barrels of oil, saturatng the
,und for a considerable distance around
derrlck. This, with the leakage from
len wells and tanks, leaves the ground
'eScellent condition for the spread of a
4 should one occur, and some appre-
psion is felt.
he uncontrolled spouting of the National
II tended to demonstrate that the force
IL shoots the oil over the derricks is
easily exhausted, for as soon as the
tional began spoutlng, the Haywood No.
separated from it by only the width of
meet, was turned into one of the hey.
'pa company's tanks and the flow was
Impaired. Both wells spouted away TO.
ther with no apparent dlminution of
lnne. and the theory that the wells VIII
W spout for a few days is being gradual.
dispelled. However, there are few who
ReTe that the wells will spout pcrman-
,he cause of the strange action of the
IT. Is a mystery to oil men who are ac-
Atnted with its unusual behavior II
ms to have been merely q coincidence
lt BATTER the valve had been left open for
a. a long time the well should spout just
f@e time the gate, valve had been re-
he ). M. Guffey Petroleum company
ianother interesting experience with a
asser" today. when it's Gladys No. 4
lied into a pocket of gas. A rumhling
snh gave the drillers a premonitory sug,
Sion OF what was coming, and one OF
\ fnen who was up in the derrick had
rely time TO scramble down before the
;ary pipe went up through the timber
eEa rocket. The pipe did not shoot en-.
CIV out of the we'll however, aud luckily
EEL back WITHOUT causing any serious
mage. The gas only spouted about five
mites, but the drillers say the flow was
fch more violent than in the McFaddlr
q, which spouted gas last week 1t Il
ebght that drilling can be resumed within
few hours The drill had just reached
pap rock when the blowout occurred
d Econsiderable oil was coming up. Tho
Ill should be completed within a day oi
after work is resumed, and IL il come.
III win lie further to the north than any
edncing well In the field.
~
VI P. Dodge, purchasing agent for the
nte, Is IN the city for the purpose oi
vestgating the merits Of Beaumont oil
"a fuel. While Mr. Dodge thinks thu
ate would find II profitable TO adopt thu
rs fuel In its various institutions, h,
ids that the freight rate approaches al
orbitant figure.
rhe McFaddin No. 4, which developed al
gas spouter last week. is again unde
Nv, the derrick and machinery having
en- repaired. Ihis well is 920 feet dcel
ia Should show some developments within
RoN or three days.
Moulding the two tanks at the pumping
atiou of the j. NJ Guffey company, ST.
4 fteel tanks are now completed in tn
ia, besides about twenty smaller ones
he work of tank building is hardly begun
nvever, and one oil company is negotiat
4 at present for several acres of Liant
hith 1t expects to veritably cover WIZ
| tanks.