Show 5 U I I I LOO CI VII V LL GAS AT AI RANGELEY FIELD Clad Asbestos Crew Extinguishes Ex Ex- Fire WAS BIG MENACE Water Turned Into CelIar of Deep lole ole VERNAL VEAL June 2 6 Special Special- Clad In asbestos suits workmen t at Rangeley Cob have brought tha flamIng gasser of the Texas Texas' Production Production Pro Pro- company under control A. A blazing torch which has the countryside fox tor miles mUes has finally final final- ly iy been subdued The crew was able to a approach the well weIl l Friday afternoon at 4 o'clock In spite of at the Intense heat and In great danger danger dan dan- ger plugged leaks beaks In the valves alves which had made the big gasser a. a menace to the rest of the Rangeley field The crew then turned water from the White rIver pipeline Into the cellar of the well and Into the casing The well was set afire by lightning light light- fling ning on June 7 with an immense flow of gas escapIng It was Impossible to control the first flow until the height ot of the name flame lad had been reduced to twenty feet because the gas In the cellar was set ablaze and In an Instant the flames reached theIr original height of reeL feeL Then a was vas laid to the White river rl I d t tance nce of five miles When water w as s applied the to cellar and tle tl ground surroundIng the burning well It Instantly turned to steam Several charges of nitro glycerIne were employed by an expert sent from froni Texas oU oil without desired desired de- de sired results as all attempts to cool the round ground In the vicinity or of the vell were futile It was finallY decided to have men enter the superheated su- su area clad In asbestos and with other men plaYing a stream of water on them Then the leaks I Ithe the valves were plugged and water was piped dIrectly Into the cellar of the well and Into the casing This method proved successful and the well Is now nov reported to be In no danger of being again Ignited The next move of the Texas company has not been announced At the time the Rangeley gasser was IgnIted ed the crew was preparing to move the rig to a new location the old hole having been abandoned abandon d. d owIng to a fruitless fishing job ot of three months months' duration The old hole was feet deep and from It Issued agas a agas gas flow of cul cubic lc fe test t dally daily The well had been capp capped d for for months and on June was opened to permit the gas to clear the hole of mud In order to have a clear flow of gas to be used as fuel In the new test to be drilled on the following day Lightning a Quarter of a mile from the well the theaIr theair aIr for many miles was aS filled d with gas gag fumes An explosion took place and the Texas welI was set ablaze 0 |