The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-08-17


But few people OF the oil country
have a reasonably clear idea Of the
manner in which an oil we'll is tor
pedoed, and thai such state Of AZ
fairs should exist is not Grange,
considering the great amount Of
danger involved in the handling of
nitro-glycerine. To give our read
ers an idea Of how the operation Is
performed, special reporter Of the
Mail, spent one day recently with
MF. John L. Kuhn, agent ef tlic
Roberts 'rorpoIo Company in 7thc
Warren district, and Jaw three wells
shot.
Nitro-glycerine in frozen state Is
kept in six quart tin cans in an iron
safe called Tie magazine. The mag
azine is 2 neraily Situated in quiet
spot a niie or so away from human
habltation. When glycerine is
wanted 70 torpedo a we'll il is haul
ed from the magazine in wagon,
aud Is either packed in boxeS. made
for the purpose or rolled in blankets.
Arrived at the well the cans are
placed in hot water and the giycer-
inc thawed so that it can be poured
from the can into the torpedo shell
without trouble.
The torpedo rcei--a heavy iron
reel-is fastened TO the crank of the
band wheel and the line carried to
the derrick and passed over an iron
pulley suspended directly over the
hole, and 10 the hook in the end of
this line is hitched the lower section
of the shell. A forty quart shell is
twelve feet long and four and one
halt inches in diameter, and is di-
vided into four sections. Tin tubes
about an inch in diameter and as
long as wanted are fastened together
and attached to the lower end of the
shell for the purpose of anchoring
the torpedo at the exact spot wished
for the explosion. Thus if ithe tor
pedo was to be exploded twenty
seven feet from the bottom of the
hole, there would be tsenty-seyen
feet of anchor attached to the
shell.
When the glyeerine is melted it
is poured through a crooked funnel
into the shell while the shell is
hanging at the top of the hole, sus-
pended by the reel line. The filled
shell is then lowered until the an
chor touches bottom, when the hook
in the end Of the line is detached
with quick jerk and drawn up to
the surface. The second section of
the shell is filled and lowered in
similar manner, the lower end OF
the upper shell fitting closely into
the top of the lower shell by means OF
its conicql shape. The top of the
upper shell is provided with head
and three percussion caps. An iron
weight called a 'go-devil,' falling on
an iron disk to spindle of which
the caps are attached, explodes the
caps and so explodes the torpedo.
When the second shell is lowered
and the rope drawn up again, the
'go-deyiP is dropped into the hole
and in about forty seconds 4 shock
is felt and sound hear similar TO
that produced by the discharge of a
large revolver. In three or four
seconds or longer oil begins to spout
from the hole and in another sec
ond or two a column of oil is flow
ing high above the derrick, accom-
panied by deafening roar of escap-
ing gas. When the bright, golden
colored flow of oil has ceased col
umn of dirty, black oil and sand
shoots up, the immediate result of
the explosion. There is a smell OF
burnt glyceriEce in the arr and the
derrick drips with fresh oil from
samson post to crown pulley. The
glycerine man than picks up his
tools and leaves the well ready for
tubeing.
The torpedoes exploded by the
Roberts Company are exploded un-
der several hundred feet of oil or
fluid tamping.' A dry shot is one
made without fluid IN the hole.
The Roberts patent is on the fluid
tamping, as the fluid acts in the well
as tight wad does in a cannon.
The explosion opens up the oil-bear-
ing rock and causes the well TO flow.