The Delta independent., 1914-07-10

greatest epoch in the history of the
DeBeque oil field at 1915 Tuesday
morning when vern Harris. driller for
the Grand River Oil company, heard
the coming rush of oil and gas, which
few moments later deluged the der
rick and all the nearby buildings, AMI
wrecked all the apparatus and then
took fire from a red hot drilling bit
and burned everything within reach of
the flames.
| The fire was extinguished last night
at 7:15 with a powerful jet of steam,
which was used with good effect upon
the fire for several hours, after it had
licked up everything it could and lev
eled il to the ground A spraying en-
gine pump was also brought into use
to extinguish embers.
The drilling was going on steadily
during the morning before the gusher
broke loose. Harri sand Nicholai had
been tempering a drill point or bit on
the forge near the well bore. as is the
custom. The great drill was pounding
away al 2,O1O feet. $50 feet below the
| level Of the other oil sand strata which
carride such quantities of water it was
cased off with great difficulty Drill
ing il the new and dry hole had, been
going on over two weeks with hope
of penetrating the cap rock over the
expected lake of oil.
Suddenly, Harris who was nearest
the well, heard a rushing roar far
down the pipe. He shouted, Look out
Carl. she's coming, put out the fire
quick" Like a flash they rolled the
red hot drill bit off of the forge and
The bit is steel and weighs several
hundred pounds. They dashed back
and threw a big bucketful of water
over the forge fire and Harris startel
TO run TO the engine to shut off the
steam.
With a roar that could be heard in
,DeBeque, two miles away, the gas and
oil shot from the bore. having pushed
past the heavy drill which nearly
plugged the well
The gas exploded and the tremen-
dous puff of flame scorched Harris
about the head. singeing his hair and
seriously burning his ears. a rock
was thrown against Nicholai's jaw
Both turned as soon as they had run
some distance to safety and saw The
planking around the lower part of the
derrick, being rapidly ripped away by
the force of oil and gas which spouted
nearly TO the top of the derrick in
a thick and mighty stream.
The oil ran a little distance to
where the red hot bit was lying and
as soon as the fluid touched the hot
iron. flames ran back over the oil and
in q few minutes the whole apparatus
was a mass of flames. The derrick
soon fell and all the buildings around
the well. tool house and engine room
were burned. The engine was put out
of commission and probably ruined.
People in DeBeQue had seen the jet
of oil two miles away, after hearing
the explosion, and the little city start
ed on the wild run of excitement, that
has not subsided for a moment since
were sent TO Grand Junction TO the
Daily News and the first bulletins
were posted in windows al once by
this paper.
Immediately crowd of DeBeQue-
ties started in a desperate rush for
the well in automobiles and the well
was soon surrounded by half hun
dred people, all of whom were trying
to figure out a way TO put out the fire.
The smoke rose in cloud high into
the air and the lurid flames were visi-
BILE long distance.
The idea was to try steam and this
was done. At 7:15 il was announced
that the fire was out, The oil continu-
at times shot many feet into the air.
II is yellowish oil with a high para
fine base. the best kind that is known.
II has no asphaltic look and will prob
ably prove extremely high quality on
analysis.
The well is known as dry one and
no water accompanied the gush of oil
and gas. Strict regulations are being
lenforced around the site and anyone
caught smoking. or trying to, near the
well will be summarily dealt with. is
the report. Today's developments in
the well are watched by the Western
Slope with great eagerness.
When oil was struck in the same Wei
last winter. people were little skep-