Wichita eagle., 1889-07-09
POOLING WITH NITRo-eLYcERINE
The Fun Had by Some Bears That Ended
TracicaIiy,

POOLING WITH NiTRO-GlTCERiNE.
The Fun Had by Some Bears That Ended
TrasicaIiy.
There was an explosion Of niEo-glycerins
in the oil regions once that has always been
looked upon as one of the many mysterious
happenings OF that country, said J. c. Henry,
one Of the early operators n Venango coUn-
II, to New York Sun writer recently, BE
cause people would never believe what told
them about it and the way 1t came to occur.
Ny explanation of it was the truth, though,
and am the only person who actually knows
that the explosion was not OF any mysterious
origin It was the result of one Of the most
curious incidents that ever came to pass IN
that curious country.
II think it was IN "a that Roberts, the tor
pedo man, first demonstrated the utility Of
his nirro-glycerine torpedoes for shooting oil
wells after they had been drilled Soon after
they came into use had put DOWN a well in
one Of the widest parts OF the region, and
any one who was ever in that section of the
state at that time has some idea Of what that
means. Nitroglycerine, being new thing,
people hadn't got used to handling it yet, and
but few safeguards had been thrown around
the carrying and storing of the deadly stuff.
We all knew that it was apt to go of on very
slight provocation sometimes, and it was
going off every day, here and there about the
region, and wiping folks off the face of the
earth as completely as if they had never been
on it.
"We struck the sand in my well along to-
ward the evening of July g. There was
l-t-,r : ii Ill
a good shot of nitro-glycerine. had ordered
a supply Of the stuff, and it was to have been
at the well that day, but hadn't come. The
next day being the Fourth, and my men
having made arrangements for celebrating
somewhere down along the creek, we con-
Guided TO suspend operations until the 5th. l
had no idea the nitro-glycerine would be de-
Gvered on the Fourth. I remained at the
well that day, and 70 my surprise the team
ster came in with big can Of the explosive.
l didn't care TO have il around, and wanted
him TO take it back and come with it the next
day, but he wouldn't do it, and placed it on
the derrick floor.
WILD ANIMALS PLENTY.
81 made up my mind to get away from
there as soon as could The woods were full
of wild animals still, and scarcely day
passed that bear and wild cats were not seen
prowling around I stepped into the derrick
to get my coat, and while l was there heard
a noise in the brush, and looking out saw two
big bears slouchin2 along right toward the
derrick wasn't posted On bear, and with
out waiting to think much about it, being
pretty well frightened, 1 sprang for she lad
der and climbed up into the derrick, and got
on beam twenty feet or so above the floor
TO wait for the unwelcone visitors TO 90 on
about their business It seemed, though, that
they had made up their minds that their bust
ness required them to make an investigation
Of the premises, and they came right on and
shambled in on the derrick floor. They nosed
around among the machinery, dangled the
ropes, and ciattered about generally. They
didn't appear to be in any hurry at all, and I
began 70 get uneasy.
POOLING WITH THE NrTRO-GxYCERINE
But If l was uneasy over their fooling
around among the machinery, what do you
suppose my feelings were when the bright
tin can containing the nitro-glycerine caught
the eyes OF the bears, and they began to push
and roll Il about on the hoors The perspira-
ton rolled off Of me ID great beads and I
actually believed that I could feel my hair
turning white. I didn't know what minute
the bears would thuInp the can against some
thing hard enough to explode 1t. What the
result of such catastrophe would have been
it isn't necessary 10 hint at. But al the while
the bears were having great fun with thecan-
By and by one of the bears lifted it IL his
paws and rose up on his hind feet, holding
the can at arms length, fully SIX feet from
the floor. All be had to dowas 20 drop it, and
all my men would have found when they
came back next day would have been big
hole In the ground. As the bear stood there
holding that can Of death hss companion rose
up his hind feet two or three yer.is away,
and gaAsd at him in an exprtant sort Of
way. l had often heard TIA. bears amused
themselves in melon patches In playing catch
with one another By chuckins meaon to
and fro between them l made up my mind
that these two bears were about to have 1T
The diversion Of thet lind with that can Of
l shut my eyes and waited
for the climax that would surely follow. Il
didn't come, and looked down again aud
found that the bears had changed their minds
about that game OF catch, add were rolling
tas can about On the floor again
AN IDEA STRUCK THEN.
"By and by new idea seemed to strike
the jolly pair. A hundred yards or 50 from
the derrick there was a rocky raviDe. One
OF the bears rolled the can out OF the derrick.
and both OF them began TO scramble with It
on the ground, competing with one another
il giving II irnpesus over the rough surface
il toe direction of the raEinA AZ every
shove the can was liable 70 be sent fyinz
against some one OF the many big stones taAt
lay thick On the ground, but by some good
fortune it missed them every time, and at
asst the bears had jostled it along almost to |
the ravile- | was 50 week and trembling
from the fearful suspense had been subject |
ID 70 that l could hardly keep my hold On |
ny perch 1reSarded t0s danger as practs- |
ally over now, and was putting nyseH to |
yether 20 get down from there and take 70 |
ne woods, when I slw one CT the bears rear |
p on his launches with the nitro-glycer.ne /
an II his paws he stood close 10 big /
'ock BE raiSej the can above his lead. and |
saw az orce that he had made up his mind |
o ind out what there was II that can, any
low | threw my arms and legs around the
oesUl and hung On fo4 Lear ms. The bear
,u-led the can against the rock There was
sound as OF twenty chaps Of thunder rolled
nto che. The earth shock, and ny derrick
waved and ratified There was shower Of
eek and trees and dirt for acres around
Nhen that ceased everything wss as seiu as
be tc-ah. Down where the bears stood tbers