Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

ENGINEERING IN THE WORLD’S OIL FIELDS. 333 the form of a black spray over a distance of five miles. Every edifice in Baieloff, including the church and public buildings, was blackened and soaked with the oil, and the Caspian Sea fleet anchoring out at sea did not escape the deluge. The whole Bibi-Eibat oil field suffered similarly. In cases such, as this the claims for compensation may render a “ gusher ” an extremely expensive property. The most terrible foe which the well owner has to fight is, without doubt, is Fires on Oil Fields. fire. On some fields very strict regulations are enforced to guard against this de- vouring ele- ment. No naked flame near the wells. Electrical fittings are so ar- ranged that the current can be switched off from outside the derrick in case of an eruption of oil breaking elec- tric lamps or wires. Before the oil source has been reached great volumes of gas often issue from the well, forming with the air a highly explosive mixture. A spark caused by two pieces of metal striking together, or a hot bearing, or a flash of lightning, suffices to cause an explosion. In a moment the oil - soaked derrick is in flames. Its funnel shape induces a fierce natural draught, which carries burning frag- ments of wood and sparks to a great height, whence they may fall on neighbour- ing properties. In some of the American, and particularly in the Russian, Roumanian, and Galician oil fields, fires started in this way have devastated many acres, consumed hun- dreds of derricks, numerous dwellings, and thousands of tons of oil stored in reservoirs about the field, creating a scene which it is impossible to describe. Little can be done to combat such a conflagration. If time permits, its sphere may be localized, and machinery and engines protected by throwing sand and earth over them. Many precautionary measures are adopted in fields where wells are very close together. Amongst the most important of these might be noted the use of water sprinklers and steam jets. Sprinklers are arranged by lead- ing a water main up the derrick and encircling the summit with a perforated pipe. Streams A TYPICAL SCENE IN THE BAKU OIL FIELDS. 1 of water issue from the holes in this pipe, when a valve is opened, and serve to protect the woodwork against sparks from neighbour- ing fires, though they are of no avail if the well itself becomes alight. Steam jets are similarly employed to extinguish and drive away burning fragments. But the best pro- tective method is to encase the derrick with, some uninflammable material, such as sheet- iron, uralite, or asbestos. One of the most serious forms of fire is a burning spouter. Although it affords one of the grandest sights on earth, it means a gigantic loss to the unhappy proprietor, and incessant danger to the district while it lasts. Some of the great Russian burning fountains have originated from ejected stones striking ironwork in the derrick, and have consumed thousands of tons of oil daily for weeks, in