The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-12-12

with the glycerine Iboarl?r
why, Of course. This Is the only
road II isn't a first-class one. mi ~
low; but. iii was too good. nouisifiv W
Iofks might be tempted 20 come in here.
It's safe enough. though. The supply
wagon came In here only the day before
yesterday with a thousand pounds Of
the 'stuff and got through all right
There's the place. now"
As he spoke the torpedo-man halted
his team in front OF . small. window
less building OF rough boards. the single
door Of which was fastened By an or
binary paddock. In conspicuous place
on rs front was nailed 4 sign that
read: Danger! Keep away from this
building" This sign fascinated me 80
thatI could hardly avert my gaze from
H. even though ! pluckcd a wild rose
from a bush hat leaned confdinrly
] against the magazine and pretended to
be c~areleSsly admiring It's beauty.
''iicw much is in there:" ! asked.
oh. fifteen hundred quarts or so;
enough. any way, 10 blow Oh City out
Of sight" nswcred my companion, as
he unlocked the door and stepped in
| side.
Re'ecting hat the danger could be
no greater in the building thar ten feet
from IL. ! follc wed him. The interior
was packed full Of square t~wo-gallon
tin cans, each OF which had 4 handle on
top and Two cork-pluggcd yent-holes.
They looked as though they might con
tain maple sIrup or something equally
harmless. butknowing ~hat they really
did hold started the perspiration on my
forehead as ] gazed al them.
Taking two at q time the torpedo
man SGT four ~ the cans on the ground
outside The magazine. and rclockcd the
door. Then drawing sharp steel in
strument that looked like an ire-pick
from his BOOTLEG. he dug ont one Of The
tightly-driven corks from each can. and
examined ! scontents to satisfy himself
thatit wasfuli. They we're. Then the
corks were replaced. and a. handed
then one AZ 4 time np M him. he gen-ly
set the packages into the padded com
pariments provided for them. and in
another minute we were driving away
from the lonely magazine over the
stumps. rocks and log holes Of the hor-
rible trail. with one hundred and twenty
pounds o. nitro-glycerine. liable 70 ex-
plode with the slightest concussion.
snugly slowed beneath our seat.
The ride over that rough forest trail
was altogether too exciting to be enjoy
able. IL was like being confined in the
crater Of 4 volcano known TO be IN the
eve 81 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 at what appeared 10 be q reck-
less pace. the torpedo-man saying hat
we we're a little late.
Att last we turned in through a pair Of
bars. and. crossing a field. came TO a
new derrick hat marked the well
we were to shoot The horses were
securely hitched TO a tree, and the ON
tents OF the buggy were carried 70 the
well. where the reel was made fast TO a
stout post. From there its cord, which
terminated in an iron hook, was carried
through a block hung directly above the
pipe that extended . thousand feet down
into the earth. Anumber Of drillers and
other men interested in the well, who
had been lounging about the derrick.
left in . body as tho torpedo-man
entered IL carrying two cans Of nitro
glycerine. and ! followed him with two
more. They walked of to q respectful
distance. and there sat down 70 await
developments.
Then we-for ! now found myself in
stalled as chief assistant-proceeded TO
business. First the small tin tubes
we're Join ted together until they formed
4 pipe sixty feet long. and were thrust
into the well. where held then In po-
sition. This was the anchor. and its
duty was to support the large tubes or
shells at the proper distance above
the bottom OF the deep hole Nexto one
or the larger-ten feet long -tubes- that
had a fun7el-like end. was fitted into
the upper anchor tube. and | was in
structed to let the whole slip down IN
til only a foot u the she'll projected
above the surface. Then the torpedo
man withdrew the corks from the
cl-rcrinc cans. and slowly but steadily
poured the contents Of two Of them into
the she'll. II seemed as though the
ten-foot drop must afford a conclusion
sufficient TO produce an explosion. and
II am certain that as tho first drops OF
the oily-.ooking stun fell TO the bottom
Of the shell my heart ceased is beat
ing. The cool steadiness Of the tor
pedo-man. and his evident knowledge
OF what he was about, reassured me,
however, so that I moi only held the
first she'll while IL was being filed. but
the second. to which the first was at
tached by hooks Of copper wire.
When both shells were filled
hooked on to the stout cord that dan
gled above the well. a percussion-cap
was placed under the iring-pan.a small
iron plate loosely fixed in the upper
end o. the torpedo. and the whole was
let cautiously down a thousand fcet
into the bosom OF the earth. was told
that the last three hundred feet OF its
passage were through a body OF Oh
water. that would act as tamping for
the shot
When the torpedo rested on the bot
tom u the we'll. a slight jerk disenraged
the line BY which IL had 2 lowered.
and this was reeled in Then the tor