The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-09-17

| y STARTRD ON THE FOURTH or
| : JULY - FLAMES HAVE yDEa
NOuRRD, MILLIONS ( OF BAR
N. isE s Us -, -, Pillar OF" FIRE AS.
~ CEND>s 500 FEET lOPIsNING TO
hfaI 'L'1L OF 1000 FEET. E,>~>
T'atniahua, State, of Vera Cruz
Mex, Sept. 16. - Fifteen miles north
twest from here, the greatest oil. fire
I in history has been burning for two
months. To be exact, 1t started on
July A. Ignorant Mexfcans. living
within zoe mile radius or the scene
view 1t with awe and fear, Tor many.
Tor them believe that unless quenched
| It may spread internally and 80 con
fsume the world; M - :. = A, :. :.
They blame the Americans for it
| all. What right had the Americans
TO go about boring great holes in the
tearth, tapping the fires Of the Inner
hell? IL 1t not enough that. God has
placed upon the surface, the good
Things that man is Justly entitled to :?
Nothing but evil can come from ok
I plortns the mysterious inner, regions,
they argue. [ :%s -, I'D 49,. ~. Is
No volcano in time of it's violent
leruptton ever presented more thrill
ling and Inspiring spectacle :, Added
to the terrible fury OF the winding
and flashing flames is.the dense col
umn of black smoke which mounts
upward for thousands, Of feet and
then slowly settles'% over the whole
surrounding countrywide pall.
I There have been days at "a time at
/ Ialmlahua when the sun was shut
eempletely from view and the day
turned almost into darkness by, this
thick blanket of smoke. r. At night
che smoke is lifted from the earth
and; carried seward by strong winds.
Then the great Are shines forth In
TAN, Its >brilliancy. The nights are
turned. into the brightness Of the
most sunshiny day. >..'...,, ~.
So close is Tanaiahua to the scene
of the ARE, that the names seem To
Ialmost overhang, the town at times.
This ia particularly true when the
wind is strong and carries The flames
in this direction. M H..
The oil field Is situated about 500
lizards from the bank Of the san.tS61e.
lronimo river, which iB " short but
i hfoad stream that emptiss into, Lake
;EFamtahua, upon the shore OF VIII icfi
fthe town" Of Tamiahua is' situated.
flake Tamiahua Is in reality q lagoon.
FIT has wide openings connecting it
with the Gulf Of Mexico. 1t is only
Eabout twenty miles from The scenes
lof the oil fire to the waters of the
/ Gulf. 1t is about seventy miles from
tTampico to the burning oil field. The
"Trip must be made by boat and is an
Eexciting experience. y.~... ...-:l'
I Impossible to Get Near to- 1T.
7 The;fife is SO intense that 1T is Inn
Eposs1ble to get within several hun
Idred yards OF the spot where the
burning oil rs pouring forth The
l1and upon which the burning caul-
,Edron Of oil Is situated is owned by
American and British, interests. TT
Twas originally purchased by. the
EPennsylVania OIL Company, Of which
nc. T.\Rathbone Is general manager.
EThis company has bored oil wells up
on the property, and had. obtained a
Efiow Of about Ave Thousand barrels
&of oil per day, 1t is said. ~ e..
| This we'll is situated more than a
mile from the present oil Are. It
was capped and work started upon
1.-THE we'll which afterward became tg-
United. 1t was while boring this sec
ond we'll that the company, disposed
! Of II seVen-eighth interest in the field
to. S. Pearson e Son, Limited, the
|. fBritish firm which is doing extensive
! foil prospecting and developing work
in different parts Of Mexico d..
A number Of Americans were en-
tployed in the San Geronimo field as
drillers and In directing the opera
ttions. They had established a camp,
which was called San Diego Del Mar,
ION the morning Of July 1t was pro-
lposed by some Of the Americans in
camp that they get up a celebration
In honor Of the anniversary of the
Independence Of the United States.
! Started on the Fonrth. g..
| about the only thing we could
Ego here is to touch off some Of the
foil and have pyrotechnfc display"
Zone OF the men remarked. There
happened to be an American flag In
camp, and one OF the drjllers climbed
to the top Of the derrick and nailed
Its staff to the topntost timber. +,
1t was known that the illfated veil
was nearing the oil strata and i'm
stead Of making. the Fourth or Ju1y
a holiday it was decided to- continue
the boring with the view Of bring
ing in the we'll. The machinery Of
the boring outfit WAS run by steam,
the boiler being situated within q
few yards Of the moth Of the we'll
| Within a few minutes after the
| drill tmas got In tnntfnr ~, H., 4,a..-..