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Story
October 29, 1955
The Guardian
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
What is this article about?
Oil refinery workers maintain a safety flare to burn excess gases. In emergencies, if modern igniters fail, an expert bowman uses an ancient American Indian method of shooting a flaming arrow to relight it.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Oil Men
Learn Old
Indian Trick
While massive, deep-boring drills have replaced the American Indian's oil-gathering trick of laying a blanket on a petroleum-filmed stream and then wringing it out, there's one Indian trick modern oil men continue to rely on in emergencies.
Usually, the first thing visitors to a petroleum refinery notice is the flame they see burning atop the tall flare stack. "What's it for?" they ask, "and how do you get it lit?"
The flame is a safety precaution that constantly burns off excess gases, preventing air pollution and demonstrating that all's well. If a high electrical device operated from inside the plant, ignites it. There's a standby circuit, in case the first fails. And at one plant, if both fail (which hasn't happened yet), there's an employee available who is an expert bowman. Reverting to the ancient skills of the American Indian, he actually relights the flare by shooting a flaming arrow.
Learn Old
Indian Trick
While massive, deep-boring drills have replaced the American Indian's oil-gathering trick of laying a blanket on a petroleum-filmed stream and then wringing it out, there's one Indian trick modern oil men continue to rely on in emergencies.
Usually, the first thing visitors to a petroleum refinery notice is the flame they see burning atop the tall flare stack. "What's it for?" they ask, "and how do you get it lit?"
The flame is a safety precaution that constantly burns off excess gases, preventing air pollution and demonstrating that all's well. If a high electrical device operated from inside the plant, ignites it. There's a standby circuit, in case the first fails. And at one plant, if both fail (which hasn't happened yet), there's an employee available who is an expert bowman. Reverting to the ancient skills of the American Indian, he actually relights the flare by shooting a flaming arrow.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
Extraordinary Event
What themes does it cover?
Bravery Heroism
Survival
What keywords are associated?
Oil Refinery
Flare Stack
Flaming Arrow
American Indian Trick
Safety Precaution
What entities or persons were involved?
Expert Bowman
Where did it happen?
Petroleum Refinery
Story Details
Key Persons
Expert Bowman
Location
Petroleum Refinery
Story Details
Modern oil refineries use a flame on a flare stack to burn excess gases safely. If electrical igniters fail, an expert bowman relights it by shooting a flaming arrow, reverting to an ancient American Indian technique.