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OCR
THE OWL
by air forces which have magnitude and
direction. The individual blades of the auto-
giro are so mounted that the lift or weight
which is hanging on them, when revolving,
results in a slight forward slope or direction
of this force—so powerful and so positive
that the blades are obliged to move forward
around a central axis and have free rotation.
The controls of the autogiro are similar to
the average airplane, that is, ailerons, ele-
vator, and rudder. Due to the fact that they
are under the rotor and in its downwash,
they are effective for all conditions of flight
from high speed to vertical descent.
These are merely a few, but without a
doubt the most important, aspects of the
autogiro. The realization of the many in-
tricacies involved in the construction of such
a craft is stupendous and would actually fill
volumes. The Engineer can witness a fine,
practical application of his mathematics in
the design, construction and flight of an
autogiro.
A FIRE THAT BURNED FOUR MONTHS
(Continued from Page Three)
and ties, road building material, tens of
thousands of feet of steam pipes, all of which
took about three thousand men to install.
_ HUGE RETAINING WALLS MOVED IN
After attempting nearly every known
method of subduing the flames, the engineers
in charge set the laborers at work gradually
pushing the retaining walls in towards the
center of the blaze. Because of the intense
heat this was done under the greatest diff-
culty. The circumference of the wall was
gradually diminished, thus slowly reducing
the area of the blaze.
Pipes were laid to the bottom of the blaz-
ing area and oil was drawn as fast as pos-
sible from the seepage. As it was not fit for
commercial use, this was pumped to a safe
spot nearly five miles distant from the fire
proper and then burned, making in itself a
huge blaze.
Finally, during the latter part of Decem-
ber, the walls had been pushed in so far that
ane Dawe was confined to a relatively small
hast “fowte Ing was made ready for the
—greater than all previous at-
tempts. _Tons of chemicals were piled near
steam pipes were laid from the boilers and
the pumps. This work lasted until the first
of January. Immediately after the New
Year, the attempt was made. Chemicals
were heaped into the fire and boilers and
pumps poured a deluge of water and steam
upon the stubborn flames. For hours this
frenzied work continued, the result trembling
in balance. At last the ingenuity of man
conquered the stubborn force of nature and
the fire was extinguished.
TREMENDOUS LOSSES
It seems hopeless to attempt to calculate
the damage done by that bolt of lightning.
The estimated production of the great well
was one hundred and fifty thousand barrels
of high grade oil a day, yet for more than
four months but twenty-five thousand were
drawn. Thousands of dollars were expended
upon equipment for the fire fighters, and
other thousands went for chemicals which
were fed to the hungry flames.
The fire was watched with the greatest in-
terest by the oil industrialists of the world
who recalled another record breaking fire
which occurred several years before not far
from the Potrero del Llano conflagration.
The Das Bocas gusher, one of the longest in
the world at that time, caught fire before be-
ing capped. For nearly a year the fire raged
and only subsided when it had consumed all
the oil in the fertile pocket which it had tap-
ped. At the present time it produces only
sailt water and gas while the Potrero del
Llano well is still in operation, due to the ex-
cellent fire proof qualities of concrete.
CONGRATULATIONS
THE OWL received word that Paul J. Scullin, ’31,
a graduate of the Civil Engineering Department, has
been employed by the Texaco Oil Company of New
York City. His home address is Ardmore; so if any
Alumnus friend or student wishes to offer best
wishes” it surely would be in order. Well, anyhow
__“hest wishes,” Paul.
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