The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-30
GAS WELL FIRE OUT.
The Seventh Attempt at Caney was
Successful.

Caney. kan, March 30.-The great
Caney gas well fire was extfnguished at
exactly 5:2S o clock Thursday afternoon.
It had burned five weeks. All that is
left is the roar of the escaping gas
A big force of men worked all of We'd
nesday night and until noon Thursday,
removing the mound from about the
well preparato to the seventh trial of
the hood. It was . o'clock in the af-
ternoon when the hood was again placed
over the fire. For more than three
hours a force Of sixty men worked
pitching earth around it. Several can
vas sheets twenty-five feet square were
spread between the layers of earth and
all kept constantly wet. At last only
the top of the hood through which the
fire was belching 200 feet high was seen
above the mound.
This time there was no question about
enough cable around the pulley on the
valve stem to close the valve. At a sig
nal the men again seized this cable and
ran. This time when they stopped the
valve was closed and the fire was out.
But success yesterday was attained by
an even more narrow margin than it
was missed Wednesday.
AS the valve on TOP was closed the
hood quaked violently. The gag burst
the mound of earth and tearing the
canvas inbedded in It into shreds Five
seconds after the last flicker Of flame
had disappeared from the top the hood
was again enveloped III the gas from
beneath, but the fire was out and the
victory won. As soon as it was realized
that the " rlk was done hats were
thrown high into the air and there was
q general Handwriting, In which every
body participated from the superintend-
ent to the shovelers.
The spectators rushed up and Joined
in the Jubilee. While all shouted de-
light, no voice could be heard above
the roar of the gas. A guard will be
kept there until the well is cased In
lest the striking of q match by a
gas. A derrick has already been
framed and is on the ground. As soon
as II can be erected the work Of casing
the well viii begin. First the 1000 feet
of casing dropped in the well must be
taken out If it was telescoped by the
fall this will be difficult If no trouble
is experienced in getting this casing
out the well probably can be capped
in from 10 to Is days. During this time
there will be constant danger Of the
gas being again fred by lightning
should there be another storm.
About $4,000 has been spent in put
ting out the fire. while the loss on gas
consumed at ten cents a thousand Gu
bic feet would amount to more than
S120, 600. superintendent Mcdowell says
he is acquainted with the history Of
almost every gas and oil well fire that
ever occurred. He has seen most of
them and helped put out many None
of them even approached this IN vol
ume. The next in size was the Big
Moses in West Virginia, which was
not mastered until it was almost ex-
hausted after burning several years.
The third was in Elk county. Pa. Mr..
Mcdowell put this fire out after it had
burned two years The city of Brad
ford is still getting gas from this well
The fifth in size was the Thompson well
at Independence, Kan, which was Of
about one-third the volume of the
Caney well.