美国名人 油井灭火英雄 瑞德.埃德尔.docx

美国名人油井灭火英雄瑞德埃德尔RedAdaiI;1915-2004:HePutOutDangerousOilandNaturalGasFiresAroundtheWorldplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:26repeatByJiIIMoss2009-3-21VOICEONE:ThisisSteveEmber.VOICETWO:AndthisisFaith1.apiduswithPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.TodaywetellaboutRedAdair.Hewasfamousforputtingoutdangerousoilwellfiresaroundtheworld.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:RedAdairPaulNealAdairwasborninHouston,Texasinnineteenfifteen.Hewasoneoffivesonsofametalworker.Healsohadthreesisters.Whilegrowingup,hebecameknownasRedAdairbecausehishairwasbrightred.ThecolorbecameatrademarkforAdair.Heworeredclothesandredboots.Hedrovearedcar;andhiscrewmembersusedredtrucksandredequipment.Asayoungman,RedAdairdroppedoutofhighschooltohelpsupporthisfamily.Heworkedasalaborerforseveraldifferentcompanies.Innineteenthirty-eight,Adairgothisfirstoil-relatedjobwiththeOtisPressureControlCompany.VOICETWO:DuringWorldWarTwo,Adairservedonatrainedarmyteamthatremovedanddestroyedbombs.Afterthewar,hereturnedtoHoustonandtookajobwithMyronKinley.Atthetime,Kinleywastheleaderinputtingoutfiresinoilwells.RedAdairworkedwithMyronKinleyforfourteenyears.Butinnineteenfifty-nine,Adairstartedhisowncompany.Duringhisthirty-sixyearsinbusiness,RedAdairandhiscrewsbattledmorethantwothousandfiresallovertheworld.Somewereonland.Otherswereonoceanoil-drillingstructures.Somefireswereinburningoilwells.Otherswereinnaturalgaswells.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:RedAdairwasaleaderinaspecializedandextremelydangerousprofession.Puttingoutoilwellfirescanbedifficult.Thisisbecauseoilwellfiresareextinguished,orputout,atthewellheadjustaboveground.Normally,explosivesareusedtostopthefirefromburning.Theexplosionrobsthefireofoxygen.But,oncethefireisoutzthewellstillneedstobecovered,orcapped,tostoptheflowofoil.Thisisthemostdangerouspartoftheprocess.Anynewheatorfirecouldcausetheleakingwellandthesurroundingareatoexplode.VOICETWO:RedAdairdevelopedmodernmethodstoextinguishandcoverburningoilwells.TheybecameknownintheindustryasWildWellControltechniques.Inadditiontoexplosives,thetechniquesinvolvedlargeamountsofwateranddirt.Adairalsodevelopedspecialequipmentmadeofbronzemetaltohelpextinguishoilwellfires.ThemoderntoolsandhisWildWellControltechniquesearnedRedAdairandhiscrewsthehonorofbeingcalledthe"bestinthebusiness."RedAdairwasknownfornotbeingafraid.Hewasalsoknownforhissenseofcalmandsafety.Noneofhisworkerswereeverkilledwhileputtingoutoilwellorgasfires.Hedescribedhisworkthisway:"Itscaresyou-allthenoise,therattling,theshaking.Butthelookoneveryone'sface,whenyouarefinishedandpacking,itisthebestsmileintheworld;andthereisnobodyhurt,andthewellisundercontrol."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:OneofRedAdair'smostimportantprojectswasinnineteensixty-two.HeandhiscrewputoutanaturalgasfireintheSaharaDesertinAlgeria.Thefirehadbeenburningforsixmonths.Thisfamousfirewascalledthe"Devil'sCigarette1.ighter."Firefromthenaturalgaswellshotaboutonehundredfortymetersintotheair.ThefirewassobigthatAmericanastronautJohnGlenncouldseeitfromspaceasheorbitedEarth.Thedesertsandaroundthewellhadmeltedintoglassfromtheextremeheat.NewsreportssaidAdairusedaboutthreehundredfortykilogramsofnitroglycerineexplosivematerialtopulltheoxygenoutofthefire.VOICETWO:Adair'ssuccesswiththe"Devil'sCigarette1.ighter"andearlierwellfirescapturedtheimaginationoftheAmericanfilmindustry.Innineteensixty-eight,Hollywoodmadeanactionfilmcalled"Hellfighters."ItwaslooselybasedoneventsinRedAdair'slife.ActorJohnWayneplayedanoilwellfirefighterfromHouston,TexaswhoselifewassimilartoAdair's.AdairservedasanadvisortoWaynewhilethefilmwasbeingmade.Thetwomenbecameclosefriends.AdairsaidoneofthebesthonorsintheworldwastohaveJohnWayneplayhiminamovie.HereisJohnWayneinthefilm"Hellfighters."HehasjustflownintoVenezuelatohelphiscrewfightadangerousfire.Hehasbroughtneededsupplieswithhim.JOEHORN:"Wooo.It'sabouttimeyougotbacktoearninganhonestliving."CHANCEBUCKMAN(JOHNWAYNE):"Ifyouthinkmgoingtosayit'sapleasuretobeherezforgetit."GEORGEHARRIS:"Hiboss."CHANCEBUCKMAN:"George,nicetoseeyou.Ispentalotofyourmoney."GREGPARKER:"Well,whatdidyoudo,buyupallthecontrolheadsinHouston?"CHANCEBUCKMAN:"Thisfarawayfromsupplies,yougetallthesparesyoucan."GREGPARKER:"ThisisColonelValdez,Chance.He'sinchargeofkeepingusfromgettingshot."CHANCEBUCKMAN:"Well,Ihopeyoudoagoodjob,Colonel."CO1.ONE1.VA1.DEZ:"IfIdonot,youwillhavemyprofoundapologies."(1.AUGHTER)JOEHORN:"Thelongeryouguysstandthere,thelongerit'sgoingtotaketounloadthisthing."CHANCEBUCKMAN:"RightJoe."VOICEONE:RedAdairfightingthePiperAlphafireoffthenortheastcoastofScotlandInnineteeneighty-eight,Adairfoughtwhatwaspossiblytheworld'sworstoff-shoreaccident.ItwasatthePiperAlphadrillingstructureintheNorthSea.OccidentalPetroleumoperatedthestructureoffthecoastofScotland.Thestructureproducedoilandgasfromtwenty-fourwells.Onehundredsixty-sevenmenwerekilledwhenthestructureexplodedafteragasleak.RedAdairhadtostopthefiresandcapthewells.Hefacedwindsblowingmorethanonehundredtwentykilometersanhour;andoceanwavesatleasttwentymetershigh.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:InMarchofnineteenninety-one,RedAdairwenttoKuwaitfollowingthePersianGulfWar.HeandhiscrewswerecalledintohelpputoutfiressetbytheIraqiarmyasitfledfromcoalitionforces.ButAdairfacedseriousproblemsinputtingoutthefires.InJune,heflewtoWashington,D.C.totalktogovernmentofficialsaboutthoseproblems.Hetoldcongressionallawmakersthatheneededmorewaterandmoreequipment.Healsodescribedhisconcernsaboutmedicalservicesforhismen,andtheburiedlandminesthroughoutKuwait.VOICEONE:Adairalsometwiththen-PresidentGeorgeH.W.Bush.PresidentBushlistenedtohisconcernsandofferedhissupport.Withinweeks,Adairhadtheequipmentheneededtocompletethejob.AnoilfireinKuwaitTheRedAdairCompanycappedmorethanonehundredwells.Hiscrewswereamongtwenty-seventeamsfromsixteencountriescalledintofightthefires.Thecrews'effortsputoutaboutsevenhundredKuwaitifires.Theireffortssavedmillionsofbarrelsofoil.Someexpertssaytheoperationalsohelpedpreventanenvironmentaltragedy.Thejobhadbeenexpectedtotakethreetofiveyears.However,itwascompletedinjusteightmonths.Inaceremony,theEmirofKuwaitextinguishedthelastburningwellonNovembersixth,nineteenninety-one.InadditiontoKuwait,Adairandhismencarriedoutsixteenotherjobsthatyear.TheyworkedinIndia,Venezuela,Nigeria,theGulfofMexicoandtheUnitedStates.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:RedAdairhadspenthisseventy-sixthbirthdayinKuwaitworkingsidebysidewithhiscrew.Whenaskedwhenhemightretire,hetoldreporters:"Retire?Idonotknowwhatthatwordmeans.Aslongasamanisabletowork,andheisproductiveoutthereandhefeelsgood-keepatit."Still,RedAdairfinallydidretireinnineteenninety-four.Atthattime,hejokedaboutwherehewouldendupwhenhedied.HesaidhehopedtobeinHeaven.ButhesaidthisaboutHell:"Ihavemadeadealwiththedevil.Hesaidheisgoingtogivemeanair-conditionedplacewhenIgodownthere-ifIgothere-soIwon'tputallthefiresout."VOICEONE:RedAdairdiedintwothousandfour.Hewaseighty-nineyearsold.Athisfuneral,manyfamilymembersandfriendshonoredhimbywearingredclothes.ManyAmericansrememberRedAdairforhisbravery.Helivedhislifeontheedgeofdanger.Hewasknownforhiswillingnesstoriskhisownlifetosaveothers.Duringhislife,AdairreceivedSpecial1.ettersofRecognitionfromPresidents1.yndonJohnson,JimmyCarterandGeorgeH.W.Bush.Oneoftheletterssaidthis:"Youhaveservedyourcountrywellbyyourwillingnesstodoadangerousandimportantjobwitharareability.Inanagesaidtobewithoutheroes,youareanauthentichero."(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenbyJillMoss.Itwasproducedby1.awanDavis.ThisisFaith1.apidus.VOICEONE:AndthisisSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforPeopleinAmericainVOASpecialEnglish.