Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-04-12
Spacs. w. I'm 3m. 6n yr
a MOOnIlghter's Adventure.

torp ;dce7 made in ons shap. 10 e tie bore
| OF h. Well and having q Deroussiu5 cip 90 the
top, winch is exploded b. drapniag wight
loto the w: The obi ect of The opsrs,ioa i, to
clear Gu; the settings Of the " / s5d thus give
Tree Il W 10 the oil. fosp,d)es are us vary
ioS 10 ~. all the way from tour to fOr uusrrs
hoch dsug r sttents tee op.r.,loo, Gau Of eu
| Ambs. proper y and lives sre lost by h. pccma.
'ure explosion of the cartridge. Monrl Rh.cis
ar, men wno make those turpvdoas, us!og SOM
hidden civsrn fyr wcrkshop aod "shooc''
WIS by m'dugnt to escips tbs splt s Of Mr.,
II beris, who Is tho lsglumaic maouiaclurvr.
a tdau oic1 ecgaged iu this reckless business,
tcIi h ''lio4Iot s'ory 10 a clrc, spoudeut:
la 1916 sue II l WAS geGu Dc mconiyh =
CT IN tbn Clarion field. Wells were beiny sunk
0y the hundred, owners Wiattd 10 save money.
eod our baslness ~as extrem ly arvi able. The
cigtt that ?snl- uear lJsoe my life, and the
last torpedo l. attempted 10 shout will slws, s
."tn 'mber. Oa the st ernoon Of j ry Is.
1876 We r:celv d Wcrd that d Il %,
"'sHed torsy quarter st We'll NJ 81.
That plight | K the she'll over 20 tho wdil,
which Was Dear h City. aud Cn few nie 8
from our factory. AID suoc ss'uIly lowered it
1910 the 'ls. Jhe Cap and wire by v cb ;=c
,XpIode tho torpedo got OUT Of order and
t0uf ~i' q the sweat staDdIug 10 beacs 90 our
torehe IDS, We d cidod that 1t would be best 20
draw tho shtlI ou.. We did so. aud ivuod tbst
the shell had broken, lepVDr all he matter AZ
the DO om OF the whole. N,tti:g could be
doue tu 10 procure eo0lher shell soG ,xp!ode
them 60tb 81 opca.
The x nigh we were TO b, back again.
We can1", aud 81 , a 10. ~e srrlyed at thn W H.
HE torpedo vas takeD from its resllog place,
aud dl'k OF iQuor Was refused, for as much
as torp d. 10 "a may dtllk at other times, thcy
p'V"r ID 50 when abJu. 70 make shot. Then
VIC prepared to make the shot, and the ouss-
II - ~as raised as 10 tho forty q1ar s 10 the
bottom of 10. We'll. Was it ale to lower
another shell 90 the top OF lhi? Ole OF The
d'lers proposed that We eaod pump the stuff
Gu; before We put IN auother sho;.
The said pump "a hollow tube that i TO
run 10 the bottom to tske out the stray sand,
etc / was pew and novei idea and at first
Doue OF US real z: ID the danger. The sand
Jump was riggcd uo aud Iuo To the bottom, |
hIicn and We pared TO draw it. Then |
tnought OF the dpnger Tho miro g'y .riue
WJuu clog to the Uu side OF the pump. a 10
ragl9ly a.c:odlog these particles eXp. up
YOU'D xpCde The sbcIl sad Tx ,S kill all 10 The
rick.
hen tn ugbt of o rnea 1s that would be sure
death ifit ex Jloded, bu' ty u0ich il would be
less liable to xpIode. Tus hole in the sirg is
abOut six inches 10 diameter, a1d if tie rope
i.st ives 10 draw the puWp uD was steadled tx-
C y 10 the 'utre Of The noe We nIi9k, esc,ps.
| sent oil of the men out of the derrick, Guuk
hold 90 he rope end told them TO start ber
SLOW" | never telt that man held his life 10
lis hand as did then. | heard the whee cr4ak,
the rope starled-slC9lY al fist, but it increased
10 velocity IS il neared the TOP.
Never did 1 appreciate steady nerves ss then.
To let that rope sway TO one side or the other IN
inch meant dreadful death for me; SO stood
there, holding my arms st q tension that almost
msde the b ood start from my hcad. Uf TO one
side stood the men, their sh hdowy forms appear
ing and disappearing in the mesger light that
csme from the boiler house he rope; in psss-
log through my hands, burned tham, Dut still
1 held Oh.
he pump in coming up would csreen slight
~ to this side aud h y, and the snap, snap Of
the particles song lne side every now and then
male my hsir literally stand on end with Inc
in M mel !, of death. Clcse and closer came tue
pump. iast and faster ran the rope, and in
The abort space OF G minute lived score Of
years. Ny clothes clung 10 my bJdy; cl.tnmy
sw''st stood on ny brow, my teslh clencbed
a II 1T !alnling from the tension, stood ike
marble sta,ue and C. oud only gasp, Stop
uer." The pump cane iu sight: tho men seiZ.
it, ] was sste, aud fell to tue )or Of the der
rick in dead f,int After while recovered,
the we'll was shot by ms comlaEion and we
drove b.ck 10 the factory. Yes. that WAS my
| Inst experience ss q muvnligbter. l quit the
business the following day, thankful that had
escaped with my life.