A postcard view (ca. 1905) of an oil-well fire in Findlay, Ohio.
The abundance of wooden derricks, open fires used for "dressing"
cable tools, and lack of well-head blowout control contributed
to the abundance of fires in early oil fields. The close proximity
between derricks and open storage and transport facilities
in the fields also helped to spread the fires. Note the fine
attire of the attendant spectators. It is remarkable that
towns of this period were so proud of these en-
vironmental disasters that they advertised
them on postcards.

© Peter A. Scholle, 1999

 

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