The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-26

THE STORY TOLD BY MOONLIGHT
ESCAPING A SPY.
f>pscal Correspondence of Philalelpha Times
FRANKLIN, PA. February 20.-TO torpedo
an oil well, or. IN oil parIance. 10 "shoot "
one, Is the most dangerous and exciting oc-
currence connected with the oil business.
Every well drilled IN the oil regions Is
treated to a dose OF niiro-@lyccrine or dyna.
mite, which Is exploded at tie bottom OF
the well to give free vent to the gas ana OIL
i'm the sand-rock and increase the flow OF
oil. People know but little abOut shooting
q well, and the operation is never destined
Ito become very popular. The person who
attempts il carries his life in his hand. The
nitro-glycerine freezes during the cold
weather. and Is kept in tin cans,
containing six quarts, or twenty pounds,
each. When well Is to be shot
the owner orders 4 torpedo from the fac-
tory. TorpcdocS are used varying IN SIZE
all the way from four TO forty quarts. I'D,
iorpedo agent brings the stun TO the well
in the cans. II will not explode wbie fro
zen and must be thawed out. This is done
by placine the cans N water and heating
the water by steam. The nitro-glycerlne
will tbaw at certain temperature, Dut oltcn
the water becomes too hot, IN explosion
takes place, and lives arc lost. Again, the
force Of the steam entering The water may
set the cans in motion and premature eX-
plosion occurs from conclusion.
FILLING A TORPEDO.
The torpedo-case Is made of tin, about
three inches wide, and Of different lengths.
At the lower end i long Tin tube caIied
the anchor. This rests on the bottom oi
the well, and brings the torpedo as iar
from the bottom as Is wished. The case Is
generally filled with water when about 10
be loaded, and the niiro-gly yceIine poured
into the water. 1t sinks to the Do'tom'
djsplacing the water as il does -.
This is to prevent an explosion from
conclusion. The measuring line-alwayS
steel ribbon-is then run, and the
exac. depth of the well asceltaned. In
the TOP Of the torpedo is an iron disk with
small hole in the centre. After filling the
c,se with g,vcerine an iron rod three inches
long. with 4 percussion clD at the lower end
and n broad iron can ut the upper, Is in
serted in The hole, and the torpedo Is ready
70 be lowered. 4 small pulley is placed over
the centre OF the hole, hook fastened
TO the torpedo. and it j. lowered very
carefully until it reaches the bottom.
The line is then worked mp and down
until il becomes unlocked andiS drawn out.
THE iOrDedo is now ready 10 be exploded,
and the greatest danger is over. To explode
il an iron weight i, dropped into the hole.
This strikes the percussiGn-cap. which sels
off the -glycerine. The man drops the
weight and gets as far from the well as he
can while it is failing. You hear sharp
crack, the rush Of the air inthc hole, then
the gas and fluid can he heard: then the
columns Of oil. sprayed and beautifulIn the
sunlight, rises far above the derrick.
"MooNLIGHT TORPED0ES.
The great dangers attending the torpedo
business are the many chances of the llud
leXplodNg before it j. safely lodged IN the
bottom Of the well. While flling the case,
while conveying it 10 the WELL by concus-
! sion or heat. in lowering it in the well, the
terrible effects OF an explosion all tend to
make it the most dangerous occupation III
the world. The torpedo is OF course
patented. The patent is owned by Ro-
bertS, of Titusvile, who has made an i'm
mense fortune from il. He charges
.hree and four times the cost for
the tOrpedOcS, and rs there is no
secret as 10 how they are made, all over the
region may be found clandeSline factories
making the torpedOes and selling them for
ment of patent is a dangerous business,
and the men who engage in it Away
shoot" the wells at night. hence they are
known as mOonlighters." They generally
do a good trade, and Roberts keeps men in
different sections. where he thinks a "mOOn-
lighter" has a factory. to watch. These
men are known as Roberts'S spies. Rob-
erts'S patent expires in 1883, aud lie will
not be likely TO get it renewed
AN OL.MAN's ADVENTURE.
81 get entirely out OF patience with the
men who will carelesSly throw their lives
away in this terrible torpedo business" said
a man well known in the oil regions yester-
day. "FOr the sake OF a few extra dollars
a month they will engage in a business the
most hazardous IN the world. know every
man who has been engaged in il for the last
ten years For two years | followed the
business, but after a little adventure | had
in Clarion county | resolved that would
never shoot another well, as we call il,
but earn my living as | could.
! "YOu see," continued the oil man, "you
see, this business has its UPS and downs.
For months you will have jobs and escape
without the least danger; then will come
one where the shell containing the nitro
glycerine, or rather dynamite, for they use
| that altogether now, will explode when you
! least expect, and old death throws the dice
| with you, with the chances In his favor.
| Still, with all the danger, with larger per-
centage of deaths than any profession ever
known in the world, men seldom leave ii
after they once enter II until they are
iefd out OF all the men engaged in the
| business, | only know six who left
| il voluntarily. There Is an excitement
about it that makes man forget himself and
everything else and be ru>hes madly on,
wearing his life upon his sleeve; carelessly
and Indifferent. The meU, too, who engage
In it ore men Of learning, many OF them
college graduates, for The companies Will
have nc ignorant men In their employ.
The tOrEedo, OF course, Is patented, and as
there is l. great deal OF money made by the
owner 'aoonlightipg,' as ii is called, is
widely isdnged 10. MoOnliehters are a
class of mers similar 10 The m0onshiners OF
the South. They manufacture the torpe- |
does i'm some concealed cavern. aud when a
&ell-owner wishes his well 'shot' be |
orders torpedo som them and at midnight |
they are on tue ground, the we'll Is shot and |
the aWner saves peI,iaps fifty per cent.
MooNLIGL-ER's STORY.
ayes, In 1876 aud ~ | was a genuine |
in the Ciari0n dtid. Wells |
were being sunk by the hundred, owners
wished 10 save money and our business was
extremely profitable. The Diglt that