Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-05-21

hASIf hESEhNUlnS run <,oou
BARRELS.
Two huge dikes have been built Great
ing reservoirs with a total capacity of
about 1000 barrels and workmen Thurs
day afternoon completed the erection of
a 500-barrel tank. Other tankage is on
the road and tonight all the ''tankies' in
the district will work with might and
main TO provide storage for the over
flow. With the production continuing to
grow heavier. however, it is Impossible
now to fell what will happen as more of
the sand is opened up.
All the oil men in Winnett and many
that have come from Lewistown and
Roundup made trips TO the field Thurs
day and brought back reports that placed
the overflow yariously from 600 barrels
to four figures. Six hundred barrels
was the closest estimate. but II was
admitted that before morning 1000
might become an underestimate.
Can't Haul Tanks Fast Enough.
Wednesday night teams worked until
they were played out. throwing up two
huge dams to hold the oil in the couiee
into which il was running. Since then
the teams have been worked in RELAYS
and the dikps resemble two high for
tifications With the tank that Is now
virtually up. the overflow for a three
day period at least can be taken care OF:
but it is altogether problematicai
whether other tanks capable of caring
for anywhere up TO LOCO barrels - OIL
daily. day in and day out, can be hauled
ou. fast enough and put up.
Flows IL Minutes. Pauses 7.
With the flow plainly growing every
hour. efforts continue TO be made ~
check the well. which is admitted now TO
be one of the greatest strikes in the
history of the oil producing states OF tne
middle west and northwest. In "a hours
the flow was more than twice as strong
as il was at first and IN another -
hours many possibilities are adml'!e"'
Coming in heads, the oil flows IN
stream as large as the 15-inch casing
and wells from 8 to 10 inches over the
top of the casing steadily for l. minute
periods. Each flow is followed by.
scven-minute recession. during which
gas forming in the oil is emitted. Be
cause the we'll Is drilling itself in, no
further work will have to be done upon
il. except to confine the oil as 1t comes
out.
Hundreds Crowd In.
Hundreds of persons arrived in Win
nett Thursday in cars and in the next
As hours il is believed the rush Will
become veritable stampede Oil men
from all over the country have been
summoned by messages sent out We'd
nesday and Thursday and are on their
way here. Hundreds of others. interest.
ed one way or another in the strike OF
oil. are expected and provision has been
made TO take care of them.
DR.. j. L. Alexander, president OF the
chamber of commerce. and H. L. Has
selQuist. secretary. took account of the
number of persons that could be accom-
modated. The hotels in town. including
two large tent hostelries, can care for
several hundred people. and rooms in
private homes, in shacks and other
quarters that can hastily be put up. will
give quarters to many more. Before
the end of the week it is believed that
many hundred people will be here.
With this likiy TO occur as the result
of an oil strike that bears scarcely
parellel in the history of exploration
for oil of high gravity. another rush
will soon be under way. Oil companies
are now scrambling for acreage in the
newly proved area and machinery has
already been ordered from all parts of
the United States and equipment now
here will be moved as fast as trucks
can haul il.