Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1890-12-13

bosom of the earth. Twas told the last
three hundred feet OF It's passage were
through a 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, interrogatively,
suppose you would like to drop the
go-devll'."
"Certainly, answered. | felt that
that had gone too far to recede from
any part Of the undertaking now, so
prepared to drop the 'go-devil."
1t was four fanged bit Of cast-iron
about foot long, and pointed at tn.
lower end. It weighed some ten pounds,
and was just large enough to slip readily
down the we'll pipe.
The torpedo man went to unfaster
the horses, and get them started AVA,
before the explosion should take place
leaving me alone in the derrick, holdin.
the bit of iron that was to unloosen th
awful force lying so quietly at the bottom
of the well. In another minute he shout
ed, "Let her 60" ! dropped the ego
devil" and as it whizzed downwart
on its errand Of destruction, ran Will
speed of a sprinter
| was hundred yards away wher
there came dull muffled 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 a moment. The
from out of it burst a magnificent foun
tain Of oil aud water, that, shooting to
hei ght OF nearly hundred feet, broke il
a great cloud of amber colored spray
Directly afterward a food of oil pouree
back to the earth, drenching the new der
rick and its adjacent buildings, and dcdi
eating them forever to the service of pc
troleum.
The shot had been a perfect success
and before the drifting cloud of oil,
spray was wholly dissipated, the torpedo
man and | were driving rapidly from tn
scene of our triumph homeward bound
But one more duty remained to be per
formed. We still had the empty glycel
inc cans, in one of which was about hal
pint of the terrible explosive. Ever
the glycerinc film that still clung to th
sides of each one Of these empty can
was sufficiently powerful to have blown
us into eternity, and we were anxious t.
dispose of this dangerous remnant q
speedily as possible. Fer this purpos
we halted in the first bit of lonely fol
est. The four cans were laid beside
huge stump, and behind them we piled
number of rocks. A bit of fuse ha
been prepared with a cap at one end {
1t. This cap was now inserted in th
open mouth of one of the cans, fror
which the fuse projected about foot.
When all was ready, the torpedo ma
drove the team to a safe distance. AS h
disappeared | touched a lighted match t
the fuse, and again ran, leaving it hiss
ing viclously among the dry leaves.
The explosion was tremendous. ane
It's echoes rolled away among the hill;
like the roar of a hundred pound gun
Where it had taken place there was NJ
,sxestige Of the stump nor Of the cane, the
rocks had been reduced to powder, and
only great hole in the ground re
NAMED
Half an hour later we were safely bacl
in Oil City. As bade the torpedo maj
good-by he said: ''Come round when
ever you feel like taking another ride.
like to have fellows along who don
| mind the stuff.
| I thanked him, and said | would bu
| | doubt if shall ever feel like temptin
nitro glvoerine again -HarYers Weekly
| Great Japanese Weaving