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

,"Yes. in 1876 and " was genuine
Wells were being sunk by the hundred,
owners wished to save money. and our
business was extremely profitable. The
night that came near losing my life
and 1.-The last torpedo attempted to shoot
will always remember. On the after
noon of January 18. 1876, we received
word that M & Co. wished forty
quarter at well No. 81. That night /
took the shell over to the well, which
was near Elk City and only few miles
from our factory, and successfully
lowered it into the hole. The cap and
wire by which we explode the torpedo
got out of order, and after tinkering
around the hole for half an hour with
the sweat standing in beads on our fore
heads, we decided that it would be best
to draw the shell out. We did so and
found that the shell had broken, leaving
all the explosive at the bottom of the
hole. Nothing could be done but to
procure another shell and explode them
both at once. The next night we were
to be back again. As turned into the
by-way that led to our retreat Isaw one
of the patentee's spies on the watch and
knew we would have race for it If we
shot that well. Luckily we had ex-
cellent sleighing, and the danger of an
explosion on the road was, therefore,
slight. At twelve o'clock we fastened
another forty quarter beneath the
sleigh, with swinging rubber bands,
drove out into the road and stopped
our two prancing bays, that stood six
teen hands and could whirl a sleigh
along in 2.40. just around the corner
of derrick notice the shadow of the
spy. and. turning my horses in the op-
posite direction from the well wished
to shoot, 1 gave them the reins and away
we went. As we started the spy, with
q single horse and cutter, swung out
into the road and followed. Neither of
us had bells; we were out on business
not pleasure.
ION, ON we travelled until we had
covered ten miles and the spy was half
a mile in the rear. Dropping down
into q hollow 1 turned sharply into the
woods, sprang out and held my horses
by the brides. On came the spy and
passed, swearing and lashing his horse,
up and over the brow of the next hill.
Then out into the road again we went
and back over the road again we came
and at two q m. we arrived ut the well.
The torpedo was taken from its resting
place, good laugh was had over the
torpedo princes spy. A drink of
liquor was refused, for as much IS tor
pedo men may drink at other times,
they never do so when about to make q
shot. Then we prepared to make the
shot, and the question was raised as to
the forty quarts in the bottom of the
well. Was it safe to lower another
shell ON top of this? One of the drillers
proposed that we sand-pump the stuff
out before we put in the other shot
Tho sand-pump is q hollow tube that is
run to the bottom to take out the stray
sand, water, etc. 1t was a new and
novel idea and at first none of us real
lied the danger. The sand-pump was
rugged up and run to the bottom. 1t
filed and we prepared to draw it. Then
thought of the danger. The nitro
glycerine would cling to the out
ing these particles exploding would ex-
plode the shell and likely kill all in the
derrick. then thought of q means
that would be sure death If it exploded,
but by which it would be less liable to
explode. The hole in the casing is
about six inches in diameter. and il the
rope that was to draw the pump up was
steadied exactly in the center of the
hole we might escape. l sent all the
men ont Of the derrick, took q hold on
the rope and told them to start her
slow. never felt that man held his
life in his hand as did then. heard
the wheel creak, the rope started
slowly at first, but it increased in veloc-
ity as it neared the top. Never did
] appreciate steady nerves as then. To
let that rope sway to one side or the
other an inch meant q dreadful death
for me, so stood there, holding my
arms at q tension that almost made the
blood start from my head. on to one
side stood the men, their shadowy forms
appearing and disappearing in the
meager light that came from the boiler
house. The rope, in passing through
| my hands. burned them. tore the flesh
from my bones, but still 1 held on.
"The pump in coming up would ca
reen slightly to this side and that, and
the snap, snap of the particles along
the sides every now and then made my
hair literally stand on end with the inn
minence of death. Close and closer
came the pump, fast and faster run the
rope, and in the short space of q min.
ute lived score of years. My clothes
chung to my body. clammy sweat stood
on my brow, my teeth clenched. Al.
most fainting from the tension, l stood
like q marble statue and could only
gasp. Stop her. The pump came in
sight, the men seized it, was safe, and
fell to the floor of the derrick in 9
dead faint. After awhile I recovered
the well was shot by my companion and
we drove back to the factory. Yes
that was my last experience as q moon
lighter. quit the business the follow
ing day, thankful that I had escaped
with my life."-Frankiin (Pa.) Cor
Philadelph lphia Times.