The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-05-13
Written for the Spirit Of Democracy.
SHOOTING AN OIL WE'LL.

SHOOTING AN OIL WELL.
Ed. SrrR1r: I was in Macksburg, the
Duck Creek oil center, one day last week
and witnessed the operation OF "shoot-
ing'' an oil we'll. It was novel per-
formance and drew quite crowd. The
well prepared for the "shot" is located
across the creek, opposite the town, and
about quarter Of mile from the rail-
road depot, and is owned by Mr.. Deck
er. There are two other wells in the i'm.
mediate vicinity Of this one, both Of
which are yielding oil in paying quanti-
ties, and probably dozen Others in full
operation can be seen from the depot.
q ze rayines and bottoms around Macks.
burg are full OF the tall, uns,ghtly der
rick; but number of these are now ser.
wing merely as monuments of 80 many
failures. Before the location OF the oil
bearing sands had been fully ascertained
the boring OF we'll was rather uncertain
business, aud dry wells are numerous.
But the oil men have got the thing down
to a finer point now, and it is claimed
that they are able to locate we'll with
great certainty by following the line OF
greatest thickness in the vein of oil bear
ing sands. This line points to the vi
cinity of Stafford, and l am told that
lands have already bean leased on the
line for some miles in that direction.
In order to reach the best oil bearing
sands, in the region Of Macksburg, the
wells have to be sunk to the depth oi
l,42O to 1,500 feet, They are bored OF
drilled out, and the hole made is usually
between and 6 inches in diameter. The
Decker we'll is 1, ,<so feet deep.
When the we'll has been bored deep
enough to reach the sand, it is prepared
for the torpedo. This is done by simply
continuing the hole on down some 15 or
20 feet, and this additional depth fur
nishes receptacle for the dirt and refuse
thrown down by the explosion.
The explosive used is nltro.glycerine,
pure and simple. The usual quantity
required for q shot is from 25 to Is
quarts. The amount used on the present
occasion was Al qnarts. The man who
prepared tie charge and directed the
whole thing was an expert and fully un.
derstood his business. The crowd SEEM
ed to have full confidence in him, and
was willing to merely watch the perfor-
nance without offering any assistance.
From the distance be was observed. this
man appeared to be only an ordinary in
diyidual, who moved about the premises
with all the ease and eelf-possession of
canal boat captain. The ammunition
be handled was as innocent looking as q
can OF milk; but those who have wit
messed the great energy OF this agent at
the moment OF combustion, and who
have lived to .ell Of it, say that its power
exceeds anything ever seen in this world.
An old veteran, who was looking on
while the mau was filling the cartridge,
and who had once seen the effects OF an
explosion, remarked that he had been in
many bloody fight, hut be would rather
march into the hottest battle-he ever saw
than to take the mans place at the we'll.
All the stories you ever heard about the
explosive powers OF nitro-glycerine are
probably true. The reason is that the
most gigantic liar Is apt to stand appalled,
before the terrible reality. Two or three
Of that imaginative class were on the
ground, and one OF them attempted to
get up sensation by telling one OF his
favorite, blood-cIrdling nitro elyceriue
stories But it vas failure. We could
look across the field and see four cans
of the stuff. and thero VAS more sensa.
ton iu that fact than dozen stories.
The presence OF these cans, aud knowl-
edge of the fact that they might take q
sudden notion to 90 of and blow down
the surrounding bills, was too much for
even the story teller, and he subaided.
The nitro.elycsrine ia manufactured
within a mile Of Macksburg, and is put
up in tin cans holding from to 3 gal
Ions. should like to have given de.
scription Of this manufacturing eatab-
lishment, and Ut the methods and process
of making the explosive. But nobody
seemed disposed to show ms through
the builiing, and al was stranger
dida't want to go alone. W Il. Cooley,
the snterprisiog editor Of the Noble
County Republica1 was present, aud it
was suggested by some OF his friends
that it was due to the numerous subacri-
hers OF the Republican that he visit the
factory and give full report from actual
observation. Cooley admitted that the
account and observation. would no doubt
be very thrilling "but," said be. "thsre
is going to be q very exciting campaign
this fall, and the Republican party can't
possibly do without my valuable servi.
ces." He was excused, and Amos. late
editor OF the Press, who was also pres
ent, having gone out OF the newspaper
business, hadn't sufficient interest In the