Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 August 1881 — HIS HAIR TURNED WHITE. [ARTICLE]

HIS HAIR TURNED WHITE.

4 Narrow Escape front Death by Burning Oil. [From the Philadelphia Times.] “How did my hair turn white ? Well, sir, if you will sit down on that new bull-wheel shaft while I turn tiff the gas at the boiler and slack the sand line in the derrick, I will tell you.” A young man of Bplendid physique and handsome features paused long enough in his work of detaching the walking-beam from the shaft crank at a drilling-well to ask his visitor to be seated and wait till he was through with his work before explaining why his hair w as of a color so out of keeping with his *ge. “And so you want to know how my hair turned white? Well, I don’t know; 1 don’t tell the story very often, but if Boylston sent you here to see me I guess it’s all right. I was originally a Bostonian, having been ‘ raised ’ at the Hub. I don’t look as though I were faint-hearted, do I ? About two years ago I was in hard luck for some reason or other, and, as it never rains but it pours, I had all sorts of misfortunes, the most remarkable of which turned my hair from a color moderately black to the silvery whiteness you see now. There had been a heavy storm one night at about midnight, and, as usual with the oil-country residents, I arose and looked from the window to see if any tanks had been struck by lightning. A bright glare in the sky convinced me that a large tank of oil was on fire a few miles distant, and I went back to sleep, determining to go to the fire at noon and see the first overflow. You kpow that when a 25,000-barrel iron tank of oil has been on fire for twelve or fourteen hours the burning oil will boil up and flow over the sides just like a kettle of soap. Well, about noon, in company with three or four young fellows, I went to the fire. It was a beautiful day. The sun shone mellow and subdued on the earth, the hills were robed in brightest green after the rain, and the birds were having a happy time in the trees. Hundreds of feet in the air hung a grand pillar of blackest smoke, and from out the huge tank fierce flames were shooting upward, as if to burn the vault of heaven. “At 2 o’clock the first grand overflow occurred. As I stood on the hillside picking wild berries, I heard a man shout, ‘ she’s coming,’ and saw pipe-line men running away from the tank for their lives. I heard a rumbling sound inside the tank and didn’t know what it meant, but a few seconds after I saw fully 500 barrels of burning oil shoot up from the tank and boil over the sides. It was grand beyond description, and I stood and watched it in silence. The burning oil floated down a creek for a mile, burning a saw-mill, numerous oilwells and tanks, buildings and everything within reach of its devastating breath. “ When the flow had partly subsided it was found that a second 25,000-barrel iron tank had been set on fire by the overflow of burning oil. Being somewhat inquisitive I ventured down behind the tanks to get a better view from the lower side. While trying to avoid a pool of burning oil I fell into a mud hole or sort of quicksand and stuck fast. My utmost endeavors were of no avail in extricating myself from the hole. I yelled at the top of my voice, but so great was the roar of the burning tanks that my voice sounded weak and far away. I struggled until exhausted and then I lay back and rested. “ Suddenly I heard the sound of a cannon and saw a column of flame and smoke shoot up from one of the tanks. The truth came upon me like a bolt of lightning, and I was almost stricken senseless by the thought. The United Pipe Line men were firing cannon balls through the first tank to draw off the oil and prevent a second overflow. Great God! What a conviction came upon me ! The burning oil would flow down upon me ! It was a matter of seconds. I tried to shout, but the words would not come. With the strength of despair I straggled to get free. The quicksand held me with the grip of 10,000 devils. All at once I saw a little stream of burning oil run slowly down toward me. My time had come, I thought, and I must be burned to death by inches. The earth was dear to me then—dearer than ever before and I turned to get a look at the sunlight and the bright world once more. horror and fear passed away and I was ready to die. The stream of burning oil, now grown larger, was upon me, but I did not seem to care. I saw it as in a dream. The earth and all things earthly faded away, and all was dark. “ When I came back to consciousness I was lying in my own room with my friends around me" The boys said that in following the supposed course of the overflowed oil they came upon me and rescued me just as the burning stream was about to push upon me. I was sick a long while, and when I got well I found my hair was as white as you see it now. The doctors said it was caused by horror and fear.”