El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-15

entered the ocean, where the table land
extending southwark from Half Moon
bay ends, and the abrupt cliffs Of the
hills bordering on the coast begin 1t
was late in the afternoon when they
landed and hurried preparations were
made to cook the evening meal while
the camp was being made a few hun
dred yards from the beach. This place
was selected on account of the shelter
it afforded from all winds, being hem
med in by perpendicular cliff in the
form of a horseshoe over one hundred
feet in height and forming, as it were.
deadly eddy in the deep canyon of the
stream.
Oil in the Water.
'It was soon learned that the brown
ish water of the stream had an unpala-
table and peculiar taste and a strange
odor pervaded the air of the place.
One of the party was sent in search Of
a spring along the creek banks in the
hope of obtaining better water while
the rest of the attendants went on with
the preparations for the evening meal
and the esta blishment of their camp
All went well until the first tongue Of
flame arose skyward' from the camp
fire, when a sudden flash like light
ming overspread the whole canyon,
scorching all the verdure, followed by
terrific shock that staggered and
startled every one of the party.
All Of the party being imbued more
or less with superstition, they became
alarmed, believing it to be the work Of
evil spirits. In frantic haste they
sought the open sea beach, where they
were compelled to camp for two days
before favorable weather permitted
hnsvr d.
The explosion was caused by gas in
the air becoming ignited from the
camp fire. Earthquake shocks had
caused the opening of crevices in the
rock that led to subterranean reser-
voirs Of high volatile hydrocarbon sub
stances that escaped in the form of gas.
1t was noticed that the water flowing
down the creek took a hue Of darker
brown and carried a scum on its sur
face resembling fir balsam, giving va
rious shades of color. The missiona-
ries named the creek Arroyo DiabIo, or
Devil Creek, thinking the explosion the
work Of the evil one.
Their Great Discovery.
Although they did not know it, these
simple folk of long ago had made one
of the greatest discoveries Of the age,
viz: the first evidence of natural gas
and oil on the Pacific coast, and likely
the first in the worlds history, and
they made the discovery in what is now
virtually the dooryard Of San Francis
co, the place being only SO miles south
of the western metropolis.
When the little party reached the
mission Dolores they. told the story OF
their great adventure which created
much wonderment and gossip amongst
the attaches of the mission at the time
but ere long the incident was forgot
ten, save by the members Of that lit
tie party of voyagers.
The hill bordering on the coast i'm
south of their eventful land
ing place the voyagers named Iona
Vista, the Hill of Great View. but this
has given way to the modern. name
applied by the early settlers who fol-
lowed. The unerring hand of time
has relegated the original names of
creek and hill to oblivion and they ex-
list now only in the memory of those
living who heard the story from the
lips Of the members Of that pioneer
party.
Tunitas Creek.
"The stream is known now as Tunitas
Creek, familiar to all devotees of trout
fly and rod in San Francisco, and the
Ocean Shore railway has given the
name of Tunitas Glen to
their station on the banks of the
stream, which is the present terminus
Of that road. The hill is known as
san GregoriO Hill, traversed by the
coast county road and admired by tour
sts for its magnificent view of the
ocean and refreshing sea breezes.
AS time goes, more than two gener-
atoms Of man have come and gone
since the good old padre made this dis
covery Of oil and gas. Capital. ever
alert, unswerved by superstition or
weird tales of evil spirits, has boldly
aiken possession of Devil Creek And
1ow, on Tunitas Creek, may be heard
lay and night the exhaust of the
steam drilling engines, boring for oil
hear the point Of this first discovery"