The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-12-04

set the packages into the padded cosl'
partments provided Tor them. and in an
other minute VIC were driving away from
the lonely magazine over the stumps,
rocks and big holes of the horrible trail,
with 120 pounds of nitro-glycerine,
liable to explode with the slightest con,
cussion, snusly slowed beneath our seat.
The ride over that rough forest trail
was altogether too exciting to be enjoy
able. 1t was like being confined in the
crater of volcano known tc be on the
eve of an eruption, and the main road,
when reached, seemed a haven of safety.
The remaining mile of our drive was made
without incident, though we drove al
what appeared to Inc reckless pace, the
torpedo-man saying that we were little
late.
At last we turned in through pair OF
bars, and, crossing field, came to a new
derrick that marked the well we were to
shoot. The horses were securely hitched
to a tree, and the contents of the buggy
were carried to the well, where the rec
was made fast to q stout post. From
there its cord, which terminated in an
iron hook, was carried through block
hung directly above the pipe that extend
ed thousand feet down into the earth.
A number of drillers and other men in
terested in the well, who had been
lounging about the derrick, left in a
body as the torpedo man entered it, ear
rying two cans of nitro-glycerine, and
followed with two more. they walked
off to a respectful and there sat down to
a,7ait developments.
Then we-for now found myself in
stalled as chief assistant-proceeded to
business. First the small tin tubes were
Joined together until they formed pipe
sixty feet long, aad were thrust into the
we'll, where l held them in position.
This was the 'ancaor," and its duty was
to support the large tubes, or "shells, "
at the proper distance above the bottom
of the deep hole. Next one of the larger
ten feet long-tubes, that had fun
nel-like end, was fitted into the upper
anchor tube, and I was instructed to let
the whole slip down until only foot of
the shell projected above the surface.
Then the torpedo man withdrew the
corks from the glycerine cans, and slowia
but steadily poured the contents of two
of them into the shell. 1t seemed as
though that ten-foot drop must afford a
conclusion sufficient to produce an ex-
plosion, as,l I am certain that as the first
drops Of the oily-looking stuff fell to the
bottom of the shell my heart ceased its
beating. The cool steadiness of the tor
pedo man and his evident knowledge of
what he was about reassured me, how
ever so that l not only held the first
shell while it was being filled, but the
second, to which the first was attached
by hooks of copper wire.
When both shells were filled and hook
ed on to the stout cord that danglcd
above .the we'll, q percussion-cap was
placed under the firing pan, small iron
plate loosely fixed in the upper end of
the torpedo, and the whole was let eau
tiously down thousand feet into the
bosom Of the earth. Twas told the last
three hundred feet of its passage were
through body Of oil and water, that
would act as tamping for the shot.
When the torpedo rested on the bottom
of the well, slight jerk disengaged the
line by which it had been lowered, and
this line was reeled in. Then the
torpedo man said, intcrrogativcly,
suppose you would like to drop the
'go-dev!r?"
"Certainly," I answered. felt thai
that I had gone too far to recede from
any part of the undertaking now, so
prepared to drop the "go-devil. >"
1t was four hanged bit of cast-iron
about foot long, and pointed at the
lower end. 1t weigh d some ten pounds,
and was just large enough to slip readily
down the well pipe.
The torpedo man went to unfaster
the horses, and get them started away
before the explosion should take place
leaving me alone in the derrick, holding
the bit of iron that was to unlooscn th'
awful force lying so quietly at the bottom
of the well. In another minute he shout
ed, "Let her go!" l dropped the ''go
devil" and as it whizzed downward
on its errand of destruction, ran will
speed of sprinter.
l was a hundred yards away wher
there came dull mufiled roar, followe'
by sharp crack that sound like the ex
plosion of percussion cap, and accom-
panied by slight jar of the earth.
few seconds later solid column Of blac
oil mounted fifteen or twenty feet abov
the mouth Of the we'll, where it SCENE,
to remain stationary for moment. The
from out of it burst magnificent foun
tain of oil and water, that, shooting to
height OF nearly hundred feet, broke i
great cloud of amber colored spray
Directly afterward flood of oil poure
back to the earth, drcnching the new der
rick and its adjacent buildings, and dcdj
eating them forever to the service Of pc
troleum.
The shot had been a perfect success
and before tine drifting cloud of oil
spray was wholly dissipated, the torped
man and l were driving rapidly from tn
scene of our triumph homeward bound
But one more duty remained to be pei
formed. We still had the empty glycei
inc cans, in one of which was about hal
pint CT the terrible explosive. Eve
the glycerine film that still clung to ia
sides of each one of these empty can
was sufficiently powerful to have blow
us into eternity, and we were anxious t
dispose of this dangerous remnant 4;
speedily as possible. For this purpos