I cut a live cold water pipe once by mistake...

[LeftyFingerPop]

due to the fact that my local water company did not shut off an old supply from the street.

I cut it with a reciprocating saw, and there was no shut-off valve.

Cold water with amazing pressure shot out of the pipe and began to flood my basement. I tried to hold the water off with my thumb, but the pressure was so great, that it misdirected the gusher.

I then grabbed a brick of duct seal (which is like clay),and molded it around the leak. This worked only a little better than my thumb.

Then I finally remembered something about a hose that I had heard.

I cut a 4 inch piece of rubber garden hose. I slit it lengthwise. I placed it slit-side down over the leak in the horizontal pipe. I placed two radiator hose clamps over each end of the hose and tightened until the spray stopped completely.

In regard to the oil spill...see what I'm sayin'?