The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-07
Caney Gas Gusher More Tn.
manageable Than Ever.
Volume Appears Greater Than
Since Start.
PEOPLE GO TO SCENE.
Hotels in the Little Town AR,
OvercrOwded.
WOrkmen Busy Trying to Fash
ion Hood for Well.

Caney Kas., March The big
gasser Vanderpod. in the Cherokee
nation southeast of here, was shoot
ing flames higher last night than at
any time since it caught IRE. There
has been no second outbreak of the
we'll but at noon there was an appre-
ciable increase in the now of gas. At
/ 2 o'clock the increase was at the rate
of about 10 million cubic feet day.
There was a deepening of the mighty
roar of the burning gas and the vol
ume of flame was shot many feet
/ higher. which startled somewhat the
gas officials in the vicinity of the well,
although they did not leave their
work
There was no report or explosion of
any kind in the increased flow, which
/ the gas men said probably was due to
settling Of the sand or the bed Of the
well. It is new estimated that more
/ than so million cubic feet of gas is be
| Ing consumed by the flames each day.
/ caused cessation of the work pre-
/ paratory to using the hood device.
! This work is being carried on as fast
/ as possible. but it is a greater task
than counted on by the gas men.
/ When thlrty-flVe men quite work last
| night the miniature railroad on which
4 the hood is to be hauled to the well
/ had been completed, but there was
/ still much work to do.
Instead of using several pipes as
means of escape for flames after the
/ hood is placed in position. such as was
| originally planned, one long pipe
twelve inches in diameter will be used.
/ This pipe, which is to be firmly fasten-
! ed to the top of the hood. will be three
/ hundred feet long As it is twice the
| size OF the tubing through which the
great volume of gas is escap ping. it is
peIieVed that It VIII easily carry away
/ the flames with out allowing enough
pressure on the hood to dislodge it.
! Once the flames are diverted through
| this there will be no burning gas nearer
/ the well than the end of the pipe 900
! feet away. Then by means Of a valve
/ this win be choked off and after the
| hood is dislodged the well can be cap
/ ped. The work that is causing the de-
/ lay Is on this pipe which was shipped
| to Caney in sections. These sections
have to be heated and joined. Curious
! ly enough, small fires are built around
the furnace-like mouth of the big
gasser for this work.
Working in the vicinity OF the we'll
such as the men are doing is a severe
! test on their endurance Not only do
they have to Withstand the great heat
and the deafening roar which even
penetrates their ears filed with cotton,
but the constant vibration of the air
causes a strain to which even these
men cannot grow accustomed. Visitors,
when they near the we'll feel these Vi
brations and believe that the volcanic
we'll is shaking the ground Many of
| them who approached the we'll today
complained of the effects on their
hearts and left hurriedly. For more
than a hundred yards distant the earth
is hot, and close to the mouth a thick
crust has been baked on the top Of the
ground. Even in the woods for a quar-
ter Of a mile around the earth is warm
Gin, all 4v1slr
ming green vegetation can be seen.
Bumpers are kept at work and
streams Of water are constantly
thrown in the air between the flames
men were forced to get nearer the
mouth of the flames and place in posi-
/ ton a section OF the railway track the
water was turned on them. Steam
from their wet clothing enveloped
them and almost hid them from sight.
While at work the men resembled a
colony Of deaf and dumb people BY
gesticulations and pointing those in
charge direct their men, who silently
comply with the orders. BY shouting
in the workmen's ears they can be
made to understand, but this takes
time for in that way the foreman has
to go to each labOrer. In addition the
bosses and gas men carry paper and
pencils and write out their orders
where the work is somewhat complf-
Gated.
Dressed in a yellow rubber coat ].
G. Mcdowell general manager of the
natural gas company, was at the well
all day He carried q large pad Of pa
per and pencil with him constantly.
/ His work resembles that of a train
dispatcher No work is being done
now at the well at night. Laborers
familiar with work about gas wells
are scarce and not a sufficient num-
/ Der can be found to run two forces.
one during the day and one at night.
Many men solicited by the gas Off
Gals have refused to 20 to work he
cause they consider 1t dangerous High
/ wages offered them had no inducement
/ Those in charge of the work saw that
they cannot tell just when the attempt
! is to be made to capture the well with
| the hood It was believed that the trial
would be made today but it may
! be Thursday or even Friday before ev-
/ erything is in readiness.
1T is hard to tell said Mr.. Nc
/ Dowen Just when the hood will be
placed in position. There is much work
to be done. but without delays We
should be able to have ez erything ready
| tomorrow night"
Last night the four hotels in Caney
were forced to turn away guests. Wis
tors who came in during the afternoon
I had to depend on the citizens for a
place to sleep or return on the next
I train without getting a chance to visit
/ the well. By noon every available
vehicle in the town had been engaged
4 for yesterday afternoon and last night
/ A special excursion train had been
/ planned for last night from Cedarvale
4 and other small towns in that vicinity
/ Because it was learned that accomno-
! dations could not be secured and that
there were not vehicles for hire IN
! Caney the excursion was abandoned.
New Charters Granted
At a meeting of the state charter