342 



Sir Boverton Redwood 



[June 7, 



but less is known of similar occurrences elsewhere, which were of an 

 even more remarkable character. The photograph projected on the 

 screen is that of a fountain in the Grozni oil-field in the Northern 

 Caucasus which began to floAv in August 1895, and was estimated to 

 have thrown up during the first three days over 4,500,000 gallons, 

 or about 18,500 tons, of oil a day. It flowed continuously, but in 

 gradually diminishing quantity, for fifteen months, quickly destroying 

 the derrick, and afterwards periodically. When I visited the spot 

 in April 1897 there was still an occasional outburst of oil and gas. 

 To save the enormous volume of oil ejected, an army of workmen was 

 employed day and night in throwing a dam across the valley, so as 

 to form a gigantic reservoir, as show^n in the next slide. This dam 

 gave way, and a second was constructed below^ it ; a third, still lower 

 down the valley, being afterwards added as a measure of precaution. 



Fig. 4. — Assam Oil Field. 



The huge lake of oil thus formed is shown in the next slide, which 

 represents the scene looking up the valley towards the dam. 



Another slide depicts the impressive' appearance of a burning 

 fountain on the Rothschild property at Bibi-Eibat. The loss in oil 

 and damage to property during the ten days which elapsed before 

 the fire could be extinguished was estimated at a million roubles. 



Probably the most sudden and violent of the outbursts of oil 

 which have been experienced is that which occurred in 1908 on the 

 San Diego property of Messrs. S. Pearson & Son (Lord Cowdray's 

 firm) in Mexico. In the early morning of July 5 in that year oil 

 was struck in a well known as No. 3, at a depth of 1824 feet. The 

 pressure gradually increased, and in fifteen or twenty minutes the 

 ground round the well began to tremble. In various places, some as 

 far distant as 250 feet from the well, fissures appeared, through which 

 oil and gas were emitted. One of these fissures extended under the 



