Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1902-09-13
OIL FIELDS ON FIRE
Disastrous Fire Burning on Spindle
Top Near Beaumeat.
LOSS WILL BE HEAVY
Careless Waterman Lowpring His Ian.
tern In q Tank Cansed the Dis
a,ter-Lsvees Being Throwa
up 10 Cheek the Fire.

Kelth-Ward tract on spindletop
heights caught ere about II 90 o'clock
Thursday night. and that tract. to-
gether with all improvements. has
been literally devastated. A big tank
exploded and n had the effect 10 STAN
pede the inhabitants on The hill.
The Ere apparatus OF the city was
loaded on cars and rushed to the field.
but Il was coon evident that Il could
not be brought Into service
The damage 10 the oil field. so far,
IS close to $500 900 aud the nr. Is stiIl
burning. The Wood well Is spoutlng
a stream OF hro 100 feet 10 the air and
in spite OF a strong wind the cloud
OF smoke Is rising half a mile and GOV.
ering a large eypanse OF the country
10 the south like a cloud.
Probably a dozen wells 10 the 1000
feet square covered by the burning oil
that has flowed from the Wood well
are leaking and adding their part to
the flames. but Il Is hoped that the
gate valves on these wells will hold
and that no serious damage to them
will result
The immense Higgins tank No. 2.
with a capacity OF $1,000 barrels. IS
stlll burning and there Is no hope OF
saving any Of the oil or OF stopping
the FIRE here until the last OF the oil
has burned
Thirty or forty derricks have burned
and half that number OF small settling
tanks scattered about the wells In the
affected district have been destroyed.
An immense number OF pumping rigs.
probably nifty. have been ruined This
loss constituting the heaviest damage
The Gre was caused by an employe
OF one OF the wells going into a set
Ting tank adjoining Keith.ward well
with lighted lantern to see how rap
idly the work OF diiIng the tank was
progressing Gas IN the well ignIted
from the fame Of the lantern and there
was a slight explosion. which badly
burned the man whose name In the
excitement at tho time. has not been
learned. The FIRST fash was soon fol-
lowed by a terrific explosion OF the
tank. and burning oil was scattered
over the tract
A large beam detached from one OF
the burning derricks by the power OF
the flames was carried over 1000 feet
10 the Higgins tank No. 2. bull, OF
steel and filed with 81 900 barrels OF
oil. and ignited II. The Ignition was
slow but within half an hour the tank
was the base Of a solid mass OF FIRE
and there was no hope OF saving II.
The Wood well caught and burned
rapidly and the flames grew stronger
as the heat generated a greater guam
tlty OF gas Soon the fame was shoot
Ing to a height Of 100 feet-and losing
itself In an immense cloud Of denseiy
black smoke. The heavier parts of
the OIL. failing TO rise with the gas.
fell back to the ground and spread
over an area equal to four city blocks
This is still burning and from Il the
greatest danger Is felt
An army Of 400 men working under
the directions OF the Haywoods. who
had a recent experience In the burning
Of one of their wells Ct Jennings. La.
and other experienced oil men. are
raising levees In the hope OF conhning
the FIRE TO It's present limits and build
ing a steam pipe system similar TO the
one employed so successfully at Jen.
nings with which to smother the FIRE