Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1902-09-14
LOSSES BY OIL FIRE
MAY REACH $25O,OOO
Many Think They Will Be
Even Greater.
FIRE PRACTICALLY CONTROLLED.

FIRE PRACT lCALLT CON hOIEED
Many Tanks Are Still spouting Great
Flames, but Change In the Wind
Has Given the Fire Fighters an Ad'
vantage.
New Orleans, Sept. ia special to
The Picayune from Beaumont, Tex,
says;
One acre of Spindle Top Heights, in
the great Beaumont oil field, is tonight
a seething mass of flames and sitting
smoke. At 1 o'clock this morning
the fire was at a standstill. 1t is
under control so long as the wind
continues from the northeast, tanning
the flames away from the hill. Thir-
ty-fve or forty derricks have been
razed to the ground in the Keith Ward
tract. Across the avenue the NAM
moth 37,500-barrel tank of the Hig-
gins people is on fire but the oil is
being drawn from the bottom and
piped away, which will eventually
starve out the flame. The great Tex.
as Flora gusher is ablaze sending
sheets of fame and smoke 80 feet
into the air. The Wood well is on
fire. Several smaller tanks are burn
ing, it being impossible to tell just
how many.
Losses Sustained.
What the total loss will be is only
conjecture. The fact is no one can
tell Some place it at $3.50 000, while
others think it will be greater. The
actual destruction of machinery will
be enormous. The Higgins OIL and
Fuel company is possibly the heav.
lest losers. Keith Ward are large
sufferers. The Becky Sharp concern
is hit hard, two of their wells bedng
burned over. Major StnbTng will
lose heavily. The Flora Texas well
is another. The Bruce & Parker lost
large quantities of new machinery.
The Horse Shoe Oil company lost
one well. A. B. Wood, of Galveston,
lost his we'll. Mr. Godeu lost one we'll.
e. L. Kinsolving & Co., lost new
drilling rig costing $500. John
Wynne, a new derrick outfit valued at
$3,500.
Martial Law Resns.
The burning oil field is now under
the command of j. S. Culliman, O
Standard Oil man, for years in charge
of their interests at Corsicana. Judge
Morgan of the district court officially
placed Culliman in charge and to all
intents and purposes martial law Is
reigning in Spindle Top. Mr.. Gull.
man has mustered 500 men to his aid.
They have 100 steam boilers at their
service and streams of steam viii be
applied in the morning. The expert.
ence with the burning Jennings gush.
er will prove of great service here.
The same devices will be applied ana
applied speedily. If the wind re-
mains favorable the field will be
saved.
Some Fear Oil Famine.
1t is reported here tonight that
some places fear an oil famine. Beau.
mont oil men say there is no cause
for apprehension up to this time, and
the disaster will not be so sweeping
as that They argue that the wells
underground are not badly damaged,
although the derricks have been burn.
ed.
The fire fighters on the hill are
working tonight as they have been all
day. The heat is their greatest bar
rieT One moment the fame and
smoke will rise in an impenetrabie
mass and blacken the heavens, then
fall in smothering waves and roll
along the surface of the earth, carry
ing all before it. From the direction
of the wind the workmen have been
able to advance to within 15J feet of
the burning structures The brisk
noTtheasterly wind that swept down
upon Beaumont today has been God.
send, and has saved the day.
Awe-Inspirine Sight.
Tonight the entire sky in the south.
ern heaven is ablaze In the direction
of the oil fields, miles TO the south.
A more beautiful, thrilling, enchanting
and at the same time awe-inspiring
sight was never before witnessed n
this southern country. This is one
of the hottest, fiercest, most destruc
tive oil fires in history.
FATAL END TO OLD FEuD.
viii Whaley Killed by 5orie Russell