Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-11-28
A Nitro -Glycerine Episode.
BY KIRK MUNRoE.


"Wsnt to go well-shooting, do yOul"
said my friend the broker as We stood in
the Petroleum Exchange at Oil City.
"Well, every one to his taste. Now
nothing would induce me travel with a
torpedo-man. However, I'll fix it for
you"
At four o'clock the following morning
awaited, at the stable where he kept
his spirited team, the coming of my new
friend. A few minutes later be appeared,
bearing on his shoulder bundle Of new
tin tubes ten feet long and two and five
inches in diameter
The torpedo-wagOn in which we were to
ride was an open single-seated box buggy
hung on the lightest and most delicate
of steel springs. Theseat was hinged and
swung forward. Beneath it was strong
box divided into six square paded COM
partmeuts, To my great relief they were
empty.
While sleepy hOstler was harnessing
the team-two jet black spirited young
animals, for a tOrpedo-mau prides him
self upon the mettle of his hOrses-my
companion affixed to the left-hand side
of the buggy two curved iron rests,
something like those placed at the back
of victims head by a photographer
They were also padded, and in them was
laid and securely lashed the bundle OF
tin tubes. In the buggy, behind the seat,
were placed a heavy iron reel on which
were wound some two thousand feet Of
stout oil-soaked cord, coil Of fuse, an
other Of small wire, and "go-devil." As
we took our places and the lively team
spraug away, ventured to remind the
torpedo-man that lie had forgotten his
nitro-glycerine.
"Oh, no, haven't" he laughed. Il
am not allowed to bring it into town,
but keep it in several small magazines
some miles out in the woods, near the
different roads that have to travel.
There is one not far from tue well We
are going to shoot this morning, so that
we sha'n't have to drive more than
mile with the stuff aboard.
The morning air seemed to intOxicate
our team, for they danced along the road,
occasionally springing from side to side
in mock terror of a stump, black
bowlder, OF the puff of steam from a
pumping engine. These exhibitions Of
equine recklessness and disregard of
consequences was by no means reassur-
ing. and would have been most alarming
had the "stuf" been under our buggy
seat
We passed several teams, and the mo-
ment their drivers caught sight Of the
cleaning tin tubes that denoted the
character Of our equipage, they drew as
far as possible to the side of the road and
respectfully waited for us to pass.
"Oh, yes" said the torpedo man; 81
always have all the room want. Nobody
ever crowds this outfit"
At length we were high up on the hill
top, where the hot morning sun had dis
sipated the mist that still lay like soft
gray blanket over the lowlands. All at
once we turned sharply to the left, and
directly into the dense forest. The trees
had been cut from the rude trail that we
now followed, but their stumps remained.
Over these, over loose rocks and through
bog holes the active horses scrambled,
and the light buggy bounced with such
plunges and slides that it was difficult tC
retain ones seat.
''Is the magazine in herel" l asked.
eyes; only a short distance ahead"
"You surely don't drive out this way
with the glycerine aboardl"
"Why, of course. This is the only
road. 1t isn'ta irst-class one, I'll allow
but if it was too good, inquisitive folks
might be tempted to come in here. It:
safe enough, though. The supply Wagon
came in here only the day before yester-
day with a thousand pounds of thr
stuff, and got through all right. There
the place now"
As he spoke, the torpedo man halted
his team in front of small windowless
building of rough boards, the single dool
of which was fastened by an ordinary
paddock. In a conspicuous place on it:
front was nailed a sign that read; "Dan
gerl Keep away from this buildingP =
This sign fascinated me, so that cOulC
hardly avert my gaze from it, ever
though / plucked a wild rose from {
bush that leaned con6dingly against tn
magazine, and pretended to be carelessly
admiring its beauty.
Chow much is there iu therel"
asked.
"Oh, fifteen hundred quarts or so
enough, anyway, to blow Oil City out o
sight, answered my companion as h'
unlocked the door and stepped inside.
Rejecting that the danger could be N
greater in the building than ten feet frOu
It. I followed hirs. The interior wa