The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-08-26
SHOOTING OIL WELLS WITH NITRO
sLYCERINE.

Whoa. Bill; steady. Star. Are you
resdy, sir, Get Ia; let's be of We've
no lime 10 iose, and the horses are
very res,ive'
Such vas the address 70 your CORES
poi.dcGt ore beautiful moonlight night.
not long siDce, - he stood on the out.
skirl. OF Bradford. Pa where he hsd
been awaiting the arrival of the per-
.oa whn thus addressed him. A mo-
msnt later the horses sped away over
the s,no.tn road 1T rapid pace. aud
the first stage Of the midnight joui n-y
had begun. The object OF this mid
night sapeditioB vas TO secretly co,vsy
100 pounds of nitro glycerine TO . rs-
mote spot, known only TO the driver Of
ihs team. and there explode it in sn oil
we'll hundreds of fset below the surface
of the earth The grestest secrecy had
t. be observed in order to evsde the
keen eyed agents Of Andrew Roberts.
who we're on the watch TO detect xil
such secret expeditions and arrest the
offenders. a. Roberts claimed that the
exploding of nitro-glycsrins in an oil
we'll under fluid Was ~ infringement Of
has patent Although such work is at
tended With great danger 10 life, and
one runs The risk OF getting into the
m.shes of the Law bv Infringing On
kob,rts's patent there are plenty Of
usu who defy Roberts and the Law and
nightly ri,k their lives in this danger
GUS occupation. They spring from the
same class as the 'moonshiners' of illicit
distiiling fame. only the former pursue
their vocation under the title Of 'moou
lish,er-.' They are q daring set Of
inep, aud const.nt exposure To death
from premature explosions has driven
all fear from them.
IL va. in company With one Of these
moonlightefs. then. that your correspon.
dent Bet out on that moonlight sxpedi
ton. The team that dew 50 rapidly
over the ground were finely y-mstched
pair OF bays So we'll trained were
they IL the work ia hand that the
slightest word from their master served
To bring to . sudden halt or send them
flying away with the speed Of the
~ind. The wagon was = marvel of
the builder $ skill; light, yet strong ,ht
made no noise AS IL slidsd on. The
springs. elastic and delicate. had been
constf ucted for tile express purpose of
transporting nitro-glycer,ne over
Iougn rvAds. and were SO made as TO
prevent any jar from reaching ths dsu-
gerous substance. The mooniighter
who sat by my side would have made Q
fine study for an artist. He was about
IS years of age, with . foe expression
IF c1untsnanee, upon which the lines OF
determination and courage were plainly
drawn. A dark brown curly beard
united bis sunburnt complexion. while
his costume of black SOM brero, blue
flaunel shirt. high top boets, into
which his trousers were tucked, and Q
revolver that protruded from the hip
pocket. gave him a picturesque air.
The fastory where the nitro glycer.
ine was to be obtained was about three
miles from Bradford. 1t MAS away
from all habitstions, aud situated on
the bank of o little brooklet that ran
down the moUntain side. Tue dense
foliage OF the woods hid it from the
eye Of tke casual passsr by, and the Gu
rious were kept away by fierce bull
Cog. ard their own tears OF nitro-gly.
cerine. Rapidly the distance Was COW
cred. A long lane leading through the
woods from the highway rsa directly
TO the factury. A loud 'whoar from
the moonlightsr brought the bulldog
from his kennel aud = man from his
shAnty close by.
How much do you want tonight.
Harry {? asked this man.
'One hundred Was the reply Of the
driver. a. he produced IN order.
The gycerine WAS quickly brought
from y msgaziue close at hsnd. II
was contained in five tin cans. Each
can held twenty pounds. Three Of
these cans were placed in pigeon holes
under the seat. and the other two in
similar enclosures behind. To preveot
them frnm moving. sawdus. and rag
carpet we're packed tightly aroun0
them. Your correspondent got into
that WAGON. aud very carefully sst
down over that mine OF nitro. ri corius
but the moonlighter sprang in over
the wheel, took his seat with apparent
uncoucern. and We were cif down the
lane on the last stage OF the expedition.
As We struck the highway again the
horses stopped suddenly, and ny COM
panion pointed over his shoulder With
his hand. Locking in the direction
indicated ! saw . lonely hosssman,
watering his beast at . farmyard
trough.
The fun begios.' the driver said.
That some OF Roberts men. He viii
follow "a
.Fun.' l mentally calculated. .Ons
hundred pounds OF nitro>g lycsrine
under our ssas and On o6ices % our
trsckr shivsred. After much troo-
BILE bad obtaineL psrmissioc b aceem-
psny this meenli shter On enc a III
midbil ht expediti ,ns. In order TO learn
how the 'shooting' Of IN oil we'll by
monnlis htsrs was accomplished without
dsseciicn. and now. on the first aitemps
~e were apparently caught. The situ-
alton was unpleasant
The moon, which had been shining
bright and clear up 20 this time. wss
now hid behind dark ciouds, aud only
appeared occssiouaiiy between the
RITA. SIX miles bed. 10 be travsfsed
before the oil yell waa reached; six
miles Of rough. stosy road. and over
ssumps and lngs through the woods.
Nns : word vas said ~ ws hurrisd oo.
Whenever the state OF the reed permit
ted the heres were let tccse About
two and hall miles had besn covared