The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1940-11-21
Fiery Serpent
Defense Notion
Texans Idea Is to Pour Oil
Into Rio Grande and
Fire 1t.

AUSTIN, TEXAS.-A merry Serpeut
of burning Texas oil wriggling l, 185
miles from Ell Paso to the Gulf OF
Mexico is the latest defense idea
of Texans who are fidgety about
possible land invasions by enemies
crossing the Rio Grande.
Jerry Sadler, Texas railroad
commissioner, sponsors the pro-
posal to pour oil in the Rio Grande
and set it afire if an attack occurs.
IF only 10 wells would turn loose
oil into the Rio Grande it would be
impossible for any invading army
to cross the river. This oil, when
set ablaze, would shoot flames hum
dreds of feet high and would con-
tinue to burn fiercely as long as the
oil flowed into the river" Sadler,
one of the three members Of the
Texas oil industry regulatory body,
explained.
Other suggestions coming before
Sadler's have been: a barbed wire
fence along the Rio Grande. "Elec-
trify the fence" suggested another.
A concrete pill box every 100 yards.
Floodlights every 100 yards Qike
night basebalD.
Yates Field Near By.
Although there are numerous oil
fields in the southern tip Of Texas,
Sadler counts on the famous Yates
pool to feed his military furnace.
Yates field has 24-hour potential
yield of about 5000, 900 barrels. Lo-
Gated in west Texas, about 240 miles
east of Ell Paso, Sadler says this
field would be tapped by pipelines
running to the river. A line al
ready runs down to Del Rio, within
three miles of the river bank. Its
capacity is 10000 barrels every IL
hours if equipped with booster sta
tons at grades. This line could be
tapped II miles north of Langtry to
pour crude oil into the Rio Grande
upriver from Del Rio.
Another oil pipe line runs parallel
to the Rio Grande at distance Of
about 20 miles-which is no distance
to Texans.
After rounding the rugged wilder
ness of the Big Bend, the Rio
Grande cuts north to within 70 miles
of the Yates pool itself, before slant
ing back to the southeast. Sadler
says another spigot could be put
there. Preferably, he suggests rum
ming pipe lines parallel to the river
and feeding a serpent of fire through
strategically placed feeder lines.
Perfect Reservoir.
The Yates pool is the perfect res
ervoir, he points out, not only be-
cause of it's enormous supply Of oil,
but because there is terrific gas
pressure that eliminates need for
pumping. The field is located at an
elevation of about $500 feet. The
Rio Grande at Langtry is at eleva-
ton, 1915 feet. Sadler isn't par
ticularly worried about motorized
enemy crossing over through the
Big Bend region where the Rio
Grande has cut st. Helena canyon
1,516 feet deep and Marshal canyon
1,675 feet. ....-t. 2. -.....
Feeding his fire line between the
Big Bend of the Rio Grande and FL
Paso seems feasible to Sadler be-
cause there is another pipe line run
ming from the midst Of Winkler coun-
tvs IA oilfields-north Of Yates-to
Ell Paso. 49, r. ..s.--
Sadler's suggestion is to pour the
oil on the Rio Grande's water-h
there is any, for the river runs
through a very arid region-and lei
the flaming oil ride toward the gulf
The bed of the river is inclined
at drop Of 80 feet every IS miles