El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-06-04
ENCINEERSPUT CAP
IN CALIFORNIA
GUSHER
[ akeview Well Under Con
troll After Speuting Lakes
Of Oil.

Los Angeles, Cal, June 4.-The har-
Messing of the Lakeview gusher in Cali
fornia has ended a fierce duel between a
mighty elemental force and mans me-
chanical ingenuity. On one side was
q monstrOus. mysterious, hurting power
that some day would blow out the well
Oil was struck early last fall after
the engineer had spent half a year try
ing to force the drilling tools through
so feet of sand, the power of the gas
underneath being so great that the
we'll kept filling up.
Becoming diSheartened the directors
ordered the drillers to pull up the tools
and make no further attempt to drive
down through the caving oil sand. The
foreman reluctantly gave the order to
pull the drill and the engines were re-
versed.. 1t was a surrender. As the
engines began to pull. the drillers We're
surprised to see the rope suddenly go
slack. Some force under the earth was
hosting the heavy steel AS the baler
came up through the pipes, the heavy
tools were blown up against the crown
block a mighty gush of black oil burst
from the bow els of the earth, flying
high into the air.
The enormous drilling tools were held
pinned up against fthe crown block
lOI d Jay DH Inc lOTCe Oh lIlO Oll ST. SoiA-
The second day a fierce gush from the
ground tore up the whole block, with
a large part of the derrick.
Awe Inspiring Spectacle.
For several weeks the engineers stood
back appalled,. No one could get near
the we'll The first efforts were directed
simply toward catching and saving the
oil. 1t was diverted through pipes into
imprOTised reservoirs.
d III,
Jail. The oil well was not sufficient as
an escape valve. The tube was bursting
at the sides, down underground, like
an Overstrained steam pipe The oil
vas squirting underground through the
we'll and Coming out at the surface in
little fountains.
First Round in Favor of Man.
The first episode was to force the
geyser bach into one channel and then
make a fight to cap the one spout One
r1Oi1'ng gang pf Ct drenched work
men made rush on the geyser
Inside of a brush fort tons of sand
were placed until it stood like a bull
, wark- TIE SMALL c'i'sida leaking foun
tains were soon 81. r+Ee1 ed. and the oil
was again sent through the we'll
Well Scores Second Victory.
But the real fight was to take place.
Putting a fence around the well was
was to force 6 cap over the gusher.
An immense roof was constructed on
the ground with intention to force il
down over the head of the we'll. This
was made of immense timbers 16 inches
square, dashed and bolted together, on
which was put 4 tremendous weight.
This mass was hoisted over the stock
ade and an attempt made to force it
down upon the open we'll.
Through those inch tiDharS 70
geyser tore an immense jagged hole
and spouted gaily on as before.
Gusher Capped With Raft.
Another contrivance, resembling a
raft, Is by 20 feet, was built of heavy
timbers. A run way of rails, slanting
from the ground up to the rim of the
stockade was made. Two heavy steel
cables were then attached to the low
er edge of the raft the ends Of the
cables being fastened to huge pipes,
buried 10 feet in the ground to serve as
anchors. To the two upv ard corners
of the raft as 1t lay on the slanting
run way, were attached two other ca
bleS, which were passed up over the
edge of the stockade and gangs of men
held the ends. At the signal they were
to pull the raft up over the top of
the StOckade exactly as a hatch is pull
ed over a hatchWay on shipboard Dur
ing a lull the raft was dropped. The
old black geyser answered with roar
and a rush of OIL The raft was hurled
upon to the limit of the cables, but
hung there like a shield. The black
monster was conquered and man won
the third and last round.