AN Oily WEXlv NEAR TAMPICO 



One of the most spectacular sights in the world is a great oil gusher on fire. When the 

 second Dos Bocas well was being drilled, without warning the stream was tapped at 1,800 

 feet, and before the men could put the fire out of the drilling engine the gushing oil spread 

 over the ground and took fire from the engine. It was estimated that from 60,000 to 75,000 

 barrels of oil were consumed each day for nearly two months. The cost of extinguishing 

 the fire and capping the well was $3,000,000. During the height of the fury of the fire the 

 flames reached an elevation of 1,400 feet and a width of 75 feet. Newspapers could be read 

 at a distance of 17 miles, headlines at 33 miles, and ships could see the fire 100 miles away. 



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