The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-02
GAS POURS FROM
WINFIELD WELL
Drill Forced Out by Great
Pressure.
STRUCK aIEll O'CLOCK
Water and SanG Thrown to
Height Of IS Feet.
GAS FLAMES 40 FEET HIGH
Flow Estimated at One 10 Three
Million Feet Per Day.
GAS FLAMES 40 FEET HIGH

At Il O'Clock yesterday morning. after
the drm in the Winfield gas well had
been working but half an hour and had
penetrated less than one foot Of the gas
sand, strong flow of gas came. throw
ing the dril. water, sand. mud and rock
out Of the top Of the well. The force
behind all -hese articles was something
terrible, according TO Mr.. W. c. Robin
son, president Of the First National bank
OF Winfield, who gave the account to the
Eagle by telephone The water and sand
were threwn TO height Of seyenty-fve
feet. Part Of the casing was torn out
-in was put out of commission.
The top Of the sn-u was DloBn of and
considerable damage done to the drilling
apparatus.
After the mud and water had quit pour
ing out torch was applied to the es-
Gaping gas and a fame forty feet high
burst forth The expert driller in charge
was severely burned by the explosion
which followed the ignition of the gas
The shed surrounding the well caught
fire and burned nearly to the ground.
The flow Of such force came as a great
surprise and the drillers were totally
unprepared for il. The packing ordered
had not arrived and there was no way
10 shut on the flow Of gas and most Of
the men who were present had never
seen a big well and when the gas came
were scared out Of a years growth and
did not know what to do with the well
Tie expert was burned so badly that
he could give little advice at that time.
eI1t after he was able TO assist in plac-
sng a cap on the pipe and thus shut
cut part Of the flow OF gas This still
escapes from around the outside Of the
casing.
Men who have had experience with gas
wells in the east who were in Winfield
at the time went out to the well and
the amount of gas flow was estimated at
from one to three million cubic feet per
day Some had never seen as strong a
flow as this one There was not estimate
placed lower than one million feet. Those
who saw the first flow believed that the
well was now flowing three or four mil
lion feet per day, as II was much stronger
than the other and the pressure was
great enough TO keep the hole free from
water and mud which had troubled the
drillers for the past week Last night
the Winfield Courier said:
This morning at II O clock the drllers
put the big half ton drill into the hole
and bored a depth of SIX inches, with
the result that water gravel, gas sand
and gas shot up into the air to a dis
tance Of between fifty and seventy-dve
feet, sweeping everything before il. The
flow was so strong THAI it was impossi-
Die to dc anything with it for a time.
A torch was applied TO the flame. which
at once set fire TO the temporary struc-
ture over the hole
"A cap was finally placed over the
mouth but this only rheld part of the
pressure within. The water on the out
side Of the casing continued to spout.
At press time the well is pretty well IN
der control. but il is giving its owners
uneasiness on account of
their limited capacity 10 handle it with
out the packer. which has not yet ar
rived from the east.
THE increased flow viii necessitate
moving the engine farther away from
the hole"