The Somerset reporter., 1886-12-01
NITR0-GLYCERINE.
FACTORIES IN EXISTENCE IN GREAT
NUMBERS IN THE OIL REGIONS.


An Explosive Which Annihllates Its
Victims, Leaving Scarcely IA Trace Be
hind-Pcrils of Its Manufacture and
Transportation-Some Incidents.
Since the expiration of the Roberts oil
well torpedo patent, which WAS the only
torpedo with which oil wells could be
legally shot, and ont of the patent on
which DIR. Roberts made fortune OF
several millions Of dollars, manufactures
of nitro-rlvcerine have come into exist
ence in great numbers in the oil regions
and are now scattered III anything but re-
assuring proximity to many towns and
villages One OF the most extensive
nitro glycerine factories i'll the world is
located between Warren and kinZua.
At this factory they make 10000 pounds
of the deadly explosive every day, and a
score of magazines are distributed about
the country for the storage of the stuff,
which is ready canned for use in the
wells.
CONSTANT ANTICIPATION.
These magazines are supplied by
wagons from the factory, and while mod
crn appliances and legal enactments have
greatly decreased the terrible casualties
that once characterized the transporta-
tation of nitro glycerine about the coun-
try in this way, they are still frequent
and frightful enough To keep the com
munities in which they occur in state of
constant and fearful anticipation of their
repetition. The wagons IN which these
cans of nitrn-glycerine are carried to the
magazines. and in turn To the wells that
are to be torpedoed are made especially
6 ~ Ia. tod n
softly upholstered apartments in the
wagon body to prevent sudden conclusion
that the passage over the rough roads Of
the region would otherwise make liable
at any moment, and which might explode
IA can and annihlate all within sound of
it, Under the cans a zinc tray is fitted SO
that any leakage cannot reach the aXles
In the early days of nitro glycerine trans
portation this preeaution was not taken,
and it was common occurrence Tor the
acid to leak from the cans, drop on the
axes, and there become exploded, kill
ing team and driver Scores of persons
were blown to atoms in that way, before
the zinc tray was introduced
The lower Pennsylvania and Ohio oil
districts are supplied with nitro glycerine
by means of boats run down the Allie
gheny and Ohio rivers The boats are
I
feet wide. They are loaded with u, 900
pounds of ntro-g yeerine each and
manned by two men. A collision be-
tween one of these boats and other craft
on the river would be followed by horri-
BILE consequences, and they are given a
wide berth The men who run the nitro
! glycerine boats are instructed to tie up
wherever night overtakes them, and not
| to run minute after it gets dark. The
men, rs may well be imagined are with
out fear and manage their dangerous
craft with nonchalance and independ
ence that is II source of perpetual terror
to the crews of ordinary boats, and to the
citizens of towns by which the deadly
cargOes are run.
a NARROW ESCAPE.
On one occasion the crew of a nitro
glycerine boat was overtaken by dark
ness at a lonely spot in the woods. The
night was cold and the men were hungry
and they decided to keep on until they
reached the village of Brady's Bend
which was three or four miles further
down stream. 1t was n dark night, anC
when they were within n mile of thu
town they came suddenly in sight of the
dark form of II raft not more than ION
feet ahead of them. They had only tint
for n collision seemed inevitable. a,
they shouted to the raftsmen the men OF
board the nitro glycerine boat jumped
overheard and put AS much distance a!
they could between themselves and tn,
expected explosion, with little hope o
escaping with their lives at that.
The men on the raft did not under
stand or appreciate their danger, as the.
could not see that torpedo boat wa
bearing down upon them. The raft
moreover was being pulled in to shor
to tie up for the night The nitro glycer
inc boat came up gently alongside of it
straight ahead, and scraped along its edg
as it passed on down. The moment
came along side the raft the pilot say
what the craft was and that it had beer
abandoned by its crew The frightfu
consequences that must inevitably ensu
If the boat went down on the river witt
no one to guide it struck the pilot a
once and plunging from his raft he swan
swiftly after the boat, caught up with il
boarded it, and ran it safely ashore an
tied it up. The men who belonged t
the boat, fearful that the citizens G
the place would lynch them, did not pu
in an appearance at Brady's Bend, an
have not been seen in the oil region
since. Warren Pa Cor Chicago ilel
aid.