Morning journal and courier., 1881-03-10
Shooting a We'll.

One of the Dangerous Features of the l Crude OH Burners.
 Franklin (Penn-) Corr. of the Philadelphia Times To torpedo an oil well, or in oil parlance to ''shoot'' one, is the most dangerous and exciting occurrence connected with the oil business. Every we'll drilled in the oil re- | gions is treated to dose of nitro -glycerine or dynamite, which is exploded at the bottom i of the well to give free vent to the gas and oil in the sand rock and increase the flow of 1 oil. People know but little about shooting an oil well, and the operation is never des- tined to become very popular. The person who attempts it carries his life in his hand. The nitro-glycerine freezes during the cold 1 weather, and is kept in tin cans, containing six quarts, or twenty pounds, each. When | 8 well is to be shot the owner orders a | torpedo from the factory. Torpedoes are | from four to forty quarts. The torpe- | do agent brings the stuff to the wells in ! the cans It will not explode while frozen and must be thawed out. This is done by l placing the cans in water and heating the water by steam. The nitro-glycerine will | thaw at certain temperature, but often the water becomes too hot, an explosion takes place and lives are lost Again the force of l the steam entering the water may set the cans in motion and a premature explosion oc- CUTS from concussion.
 FILLING TORPEDO
 The torpedo case is made of tin about three inches wide and of different 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 is wished. The case is generally filled with water when about to be loaded. and the nitro glycerine poured into the water It sinks to the bottom, displacing the water as it does so. This is to prevent an explosion from concussion. The measuring ine-al- ,.;I~ 46o., It. exact depth of the well ascer- tained. In the top of the torpedo is an iron disk with a small hole in the centre. After filling the case with glycerine an iron rod three inches long, with porous sion cap at the lower end and a 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 torpedo and it is low cred very carefully until it reaches the bot tom. The line is worked up and down until it becomes unlocked and is drawn out The torpedo is now ready to be exploded and the greatest danger is past. To explode it an iron weight is dropped into the hole. This strikes the percussion cap which sets of the nitro -glycerine. The man drops the weight and gets as far from the well as he can while it is falling. You hear 8 sharp crack, the rush of the air in the hole, then the gas and fluid can be heard; then the column of oil
 
 far above the derrick.
 MOONLIGHT ToRPEDoEs.
 The great dangers attending the torpedo business are the many chances of fluid ex- ploding before it is safely lodged in the bot tom of the well. While filling the case, while conveying it to the well, by concussion or heat, in lowering it in the we'll, the terri ble effects of 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 Roberts of Titusville, who has made an immense fortune from it. He charges three and four times the cost for the torpedoes, and as there is no secret as to how they are made, all over the region may be found clandestine factories, making the torpedoes and selling them for less than Roberts. Of course an infringe ment of patent is dangerous business. and the men who engage in it always ''shoot" the wells at night, hence they are known as .moonlighters. They generally do good trade, and Roberts keeps men in different sections where he thinks a 'tmoonlighter' has 8 factory, to watch. These men are known as Roberts' spies. Roberts patent expires in 1883, and he will not be likely to get it re- neWed