The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-02-06
A TERRIBLE EXPLOSIVE,
THE WORK OF NITRo-GLYCBRINE
IN THE OIL REGIONS
Almost Total Disappearance of Men
Who Have Been Blown Up by the
Compouud-Curious Facts,


Who Have Been Blown Up by the
Compouud-Curiou Facts,
'lf there is anything that is we'll
known in the oil country" said a life
long oil operator, ''it is this terribly
mysterious feature OF nitro-glycerine ex-
plosions-the almost complete annihila-
tion of matter, especially of the human
body, which in majority of cases re-
suits from a fatal explosion of this
deadly compound. There is not an
operator in the whole region that can
not recall more than one illustration of
il. | had teamster named France once
in my employ, Like all men of his
class in the oil country, there was moth
ing either above. below, or on the earth
that he feared, He was in the habit of
carting nitro-glycerine to any well l
wanted it. Another employe of mine
who helped France was quite as reckless
as the tcamster was. They became so
careless in handling the explosive that
other workmen would not stay in the
place if they knew France was coming
there with glycerine. These two men
actually used to unload the stuff rs they
might unload a lot of bricks, France
standing on the wagon and throwing a
can to his companion some feet away,
aud the latter catching it and placing it
on the ground in time to catch the next
can. As it takes q man with good set
of nerves even TO ride in wagon where
he knows there is nitro glycerine under
the seat, this manner of handling com
pound that frequently eXplodes under
the slightest jar will give an idea of
what sort of nerves those two men had.
Each one knew that if Frances helper
missed catching a can there wouldn't
be enough left of them to cover the bot
tom Of a snuff box, but they had the
daring to take the chances.
"No one ever knew what caused it,
and no one would have ever known who
it was that was wiped out of existence
except for the fact that we all knew who
it was that was coming that way with
nitro-glycerine just at that time. When
we heard the explosion down the road
that day there was only one remark
made.
"'That's 4" Frances last trip
"The glycerine had exploded about a
quarter of a mile from the well. We
walked there, and found the usual hole
that few cans of the stuff always dig
Mhtu IL ROCo OLl anu AAAN usual lOb VI
splintered timbers. Three hundred
woods, we found wagon tire. We
found the tail of one horse and small
portions of the body of the other. In
another part of the woods mans knee
cap was picked up, and although we
searched over an area that it would have
been impossible for any of the wreck to
he thrown, that was all we found, except
Frances greasy cap lying by the side of
a stump and his watch hanging on the
limb of tree.
"All who have had anything to do
with it in the oil regions have had SINH
lar illustrations of the power of nitro
glycerine time after time. Look at that
poor, reckless George Dolser, l think his
name, who disappeared at Red Rock, in
the Bradford field few years ago. He
was walking along through the town
with two or three cans of glycerine
slung over his shoulder in a bag. He
had been drinking too much, and in
staggering along he fell head formost
and the bag flew over his haad and the
nitro. glycerine cans struck heavily on
rock. Not building for half block
around was left standing. Dolan was a
man that weighed over 200 pounds,
and all that the most thorough search
was able to recover of that 200 pounds
of flesh and bones was part of one OF
Dolan's feet-less than one pound.
"The almost total disappearance of
bodies is accounted for by some by the
theory of spontaneous combustion. That
is something like the theory that a well
known scientific man once advanced to
explain this mysterious characteristic of
nitro. glycerine. He said it was instan-
taueous vaporization of matter. That
theory we all admitted was plausible as
to flesh, but we could not believe that
the great masses of bone in the human
body, nor heavy pieces of iron and
wood, could be reduced to vapor in the
twinkling. OF an eye. Another theory
that-met with great favor for some time
>-was that of atomization by exploding
nitro glycerine. But this theory was
disproved in most frightful way in the
Allegheny oil field about three year;
ago. This case was not characterized.
by the way, by such a great degree OF
annihilation as others. Charles Ber-
ridge, we'll known oil man, was blown
up by nitro-glycerine. The ground around
was covered with spotless, new fallen
snow. On each side was high and alb,
rupt hill, only few rods intervening
Berridge was large man, OF probably
$50 pounds weight The remains of thu
poor man were searched for carefully
and long, for he was good man and q
popular one. The coffin in which they
were borne to the grave contents and all
weighed less than ten pounds. TIL,
greatest, force of nitro-glycerine ex
plosion is always upward. If the matte
had been reduced 10 atoms, however in
fnitesimal, in falling back upon tina
spotless snow some trace of them might
have been seen upon it. But it remaineC
as spotless as before.
"This singular feature about nitro
glycerine explosions has been commented
upon and puzzled over every time a fata
oneSnaa occurred IN the oil region, from
the earliest day the explosive was intro
duced among the wells. s."-NeJo Y0ri
Times.