The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-08-26

E
vss nov slow. Over logs and down
into deep guilies plungei the horses,
moving slowly. aud halting At the
slightest cnmmaad After mile had
hsen passed the horses halted. the
driver got out. pushed bis way into
the bushes. and shortly returned. carry
ing on bis shoulder tin sbrli, ar cart
ridge about fftsen feet long. This. he
explained vas TO contain the glycerine.
snd would be lowered into the veil
The we'll vss finally reached wi,hou,
accident, and preparations were at oncr
made to shoot IT. The shell was los
eIed into the casing OF the we'll by
'osans .. . wire rope. and then filled
With water. The siycerine was then
poured into the shell. and. being heav-
isr than water. forced the latter 70 f'ow
out. When all the giyce.ins had been
poured in. the shell was lowered 1900
feet into the we'll and there rested ou
what is called an anchor, twenty five
feet from the bo,tum. IL was new
ready to be SGT of Thers WAS about
100 feet Of oal above the shell. Throug h
the center Of the she'll ran q ANAL tin
tube. inside of which vas snail iron
rod IN four pieces On the end of each
piece WAS placed . common percussion
Gap. At the top Of this rod MAS a tin
plate 50 arranged that anything dropp-
cd d,wn through the Casing W uid
strike il. aud the force OF the falling ar
tic'e would set off the caps. which
would in turn explode the nitro sly-
cerine. Your correspondent vas asked
to take small piece Of iron tubing and
at q given signal drop j, into the well.
Now" sad the moonlighter, after
having taken = hurried survey of the
premises n see that none Of Roberts, )
men were aboct.
The iron dropped.
'Ruur he excia med, and did run
until safe distance was reached Ia q
moment mse the earth trembled vio--
ientiy. then came doll sound, and a
second later there rose into the bright
moonlight 100 feet high solid stream
of oil. which tell on everything near.
and continued To tall for three minutes.
This stream at nii Ma "Le i"ot Ia
diameter when II he,an to h,~. bat it
soou settled doxn to stream OF about
~ inches. which is . natural flow.
a few years ago nitro.glycerine was
only used iu the oil wells ia the very
small quantities Of Que or two quarts at
. tiwe. Within y short period it has
become q very important agent IN
bringing petroleum to the surface.
When exploded in the ml wells over
the oil bearing rock. it opeus. wide
seams. through which the oil flows
With great force and freedom, thus
saving much labor aud expenditure of
capital. There 10 now used in every
we'll that is drilled, from thirty to two
hundred pounds. which is worth eighty
ceats = pound to the producer. 1t costs
about thirty cents to manufacture, and.
as can bs readily seen. nets fifty cents
on every pound to the manufacturer.
Thousands OF pounds are consumed
every month. end there is growing
demand for it.
The shoot was most successful one
in every respect. The owner Of the
we'll signifisd his approval by bringing
out . black bottle from the shanty,
containing some prime brandy. All
present took pull except the moon
tighter. who exclaimed: i can't do this
sort of work. gentlemen. and drink that
stuff too
Your correspondent, during the ride
back to Bradford. learned from his
companion the following particulars in
regard "a, the msuufacsuFs and use OF
nitro -glyoerine in the oil region OF
northwestern Psnusylvanis, and the
danger attending carelessness in trans
portasion and uss. Nitro-glycerine -
an explosive element. 10 far more pow.
erful thso dynamite. The slightest
friction or sudden jar will explode it
instantly il is IL confined. and WOO to
those who sre nesr at such timc. The
terrible agent 10 now manufactured
nesr Bradford 10 large quantities. a
great demand for il having lately
sprung up. Il 10 made frem nitric and
ssiphuric acids and the sweet oil of
glycerine. The acids and oil are
mixed together in = lead tub called 10
agitator. In. sguating is done by q
lead wheel anh feyo,ves within the
tub. A ioIg stcmmed thermometer Is
kept continually in this tub While the
mixing process goes 90. IN order io
show The Temperature. fas il will take
IRE ct 80 degrees, and the faster the
oil runs iato the acids from . can on
top q IL tub or agitatof the hotter
IL mixture VI oil and acids
becomes. Iu order 10 cool this mix
tare stream Of cold water constantly
revolves around the lssd sgitstor. and
% the work advanees with Les danger.
Having bsen mixed the required length
Of time. the glycerins 10 run out Of the
agitatos into tub Of cold water, To be
wasAsa.f Il 10 vssAsd 10 nine or ten
wstess, Ard 10 then ready to be placed
in cans for use. These who work at
the business Of manufacturing have to
wear rubber boots. trousers aud gloves.
for % strong 10 the scid water that 1t
will eat up suit Of clothes Ia . dAy, /,
. d barn the hands 70 blister After
being canned il il placed in msg.xins
for sefssy, Shssce it y not tskes until
sold 70 the inoonlightsr.
The manufacturing process 10 s,ot 70
dspgerous - she Transporting. The
greatest care has to be observed in car
rying nitro slycesins. Wagons spe-
c;ally bsils fs eAis purpose ars used.
whsie osiy n,en u pecuiiar nerve are
snsswai q the cork. These men are
s~if.1 4~l~cssioa AaaAss hy their nss~h.