The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-03-10
SHOOTING A WELL.

SHOOTING A WELL.
new Lives sr. Ls.s I..sa.s..eo..ly .. the
on Resasas-A Gianishs Riae with =
Deadly Nlsrs-0iyeerine Terpeds-,
To torpedo an oil we'll. or, in oil par
lance, to " shoot one, is the most dam
gerous and exciting occurrence con-
nected with the oil busidess. Every
well drilled in the oil regions is treated
to . dose of nitro-glycerine or dyna-
mite, which is exploded at the bottom
of the well to give free vent to the gas
and oil in the sand rocks and increase
the flow of oil. People know but little
about shooting well, and the opera
ton IL never destined to become very
popular. The person who attempts it
carries his life in his hand. The nitro
giycerine freezes during the cold
weather. and is kept in tin cans. contain
ing six quarts, or twenty pounds. each.
When . well is to be shot the owner
orders . torpedo from the factory.
the way from four to forty quarts. The
torpedo agent brings the stuff to the
wen In the cans. It will not explode
while frozen and must be thawed out.
This is done by placing the cans in
water and heating the water by steam.
The nitro-glycerine will thaw at GER
tain temperature. but often the water
becomes too hot, an explosion takes
place and lives are lost. Again the
force of the steam entering the water
may set the cans in motion and o pre-
mature explosion occurs from con-
cussion. .......... .-
The torpedo case is made of tin,
about three inches wide and of differ
emit lengths- At the lower end is long
tin tube called the anchor. This rests
ON the bottom of the well and brings
| the torpedo as far from the bottom as
| Is wished. The case is generally filed
with water when about to be loaded,
and the nitro-glycerine poured into the
water. 1t sinks to the bottom, dis
| placing the water as 1t does so. This
Is to prevent an explosion from concus-
sion. The measuring ine-always q
steel ribbon-is then run and the exact
depth of the well ascertaiued. In the
top of the torpedo Is an iron disk with
. small hole in the center. After filing
the case with glycerine an iron rod
cap at the lower end and q broad iron
cap at the upper. is inserted in the hole
and the torpedo Is ready to be lowered.
A small pulley is placed over the center
| of the hole, hook fastened to the tor
pedo and it is lowered very carefully
until Is reaches the bottom. The line
| il then worked up and down until it
| becomes unlocked and Is drawn out.
The torpedo Is now ready to be ex-
| ploded and the greatest danger is over.
To explode il an iron weight is dropped
| into the hole. This strikes the percus-
sion cap. which sets of the nitro-glyc-
crime. The man drops the weight and
| gets as far from the well as he can
| while it Is falling. You hear q sharp
crack, the rush Of the air in the hole,
then the gas and fluid can be heard;
then the column of oil, sprayed and
beautiful in the sunlight, rises far above
the derrick.
The great dangers attending the tor.
pedo business are the many chances oi
the fluid exploding before it is safely
lodged in the bottom of the we'll. While
filing the case, while conveying it to
the well. by conclusion or heat. in low.
ering In the we'll, the terrible effects ol
an explosion all tend to make it the
most dangerous occupation in the world
| The torpedo is of course patented. The
patent Is owned by . man at Titusville
| who has made an immense fortune from
1t. He charges three or four times the
cost for the torpedoes, and as there is NJ
secret as to how they are made, all ovel
the region may be found clandestint
factories, making the torpedoes anC
selling them for less than the patentee
Ut course, an infringement of paten
II o dangerous business, and the mel
who engage in it always "shoot" tn.
wells at night. hence they are known a,
"moonlighters." They generally do I
good trade, and the patentee keeps mel
In different sections, where he thinks .
"moonlighter" has factory, to watch
"I get entirely out of patience will
the men who will carelessly throw thei
lives away in this terrible torpedo bust
ness" said man well known in tn,
oil regions, yesterday. "For the SAX,
of . few extra dollars . month, they
will engage In q business the most haz
ardous in the world. I know ever,
man who has been engaged in it fol
the last ten years. For two years
followed the business, but after . little
adventure I had in Clarion County
resolved that would never shoot
another well. as we call it, but earn my
living as could.
"You see," continued the oil man
"you see. this business has its ups anC
/ 0oWkADs W hA4Ohsno yON VIII hovO JOO'
and escape without the least danger
then will come one where the shell con
tanning the nitro -glycerine, or rather
dynamite, for they use that altogethel
now, will explode when you least ex
pect, and old Death throws the dic'
with you, with the chances in his favor
Still, with all the danger. with largel
percentage of deaths than any profes
sion ever known in the world, mel
seldom leave it after they once enter /
until they are fired out. OF all the mel
engaged in the business cnly know
six who left it voluntarily. There Is .,
excitement about it that makes = MAJ
forget himself and everything else. and
he rushes madly on. wearing his lif'
upon his sleeve, careless and indiffer
ent. Tho men, too. who engage in !
are men Of learning. many of them col
le9c graduates, for the companies viii
have no ignorant men in their employ
The torpedo, of course. is patented. ant
as there is . great deal of money mad
by the owner, .moonlighting,' as it j
called, il widely indulged in. Moon
Eohters are . class OF men similar Il
the moonshiners Of the South. The.
manufacture the torpedoes In some con
cealed cavern, and when . well-owne
Il I-s.N. ls. ssknks kA nr6ara n tor