The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-09-19

Deadly ExpIosive-He Held a Package
of the Stuff While Another FeIIou
Threw Stones at 1t on q Wager.
"There were a good many reckless and
dare devil chaps among those whose bust
ness it was to haul and handle nitroglyc-
erin in the early days of that explosive
agent in the oil regions" said George
Place, who was one of the first TO work al
making and canning nitroglycerin for tbs
wells, under the Roberts patent; "bCt
| there was teamster named Dick Warner
who would dare and risk more with the
terrible stuff than any other person there.
about. He was known as Devil Dick, and
| It was fit name for him. He had churn
named Dan Sutton, who was almost as
reckless as Dick, and l have seen him and
Dick play catch many time with cans OF
| glycerin they were unloading, the drop
| ping of one of which to the ground would
have more than likely wiped out of exist
ence every person around the we'll
"It got so that whenever Dick Warner
had load of nitroglycerin to unload at
| the well everybody else, except Dan SUIT
ton, took to the woods and staid there
| until the stuff was out of their custody
| Once Devil Dick held great can of nitro
! glycerin above his head and let drunken
| driller named Patterson throw ten stones
| at it from distance of thirty feet, on bet
| Of twenty dollars that he couldn't hit the
| can once out of the ten times. This was at
| Roan's camp, and the whole camp watched
| the insane proceeding from safe distances
! on the hill. One of the stones hit Dick on
| the arm, not two inches below the can, and
| knocked it out of his hand. He caught
| she can, though, before it reached the
| ground, or the throwing match would
have ended there and then with the burial
| of such bits of Dick and the driller as
could be found, and they would have been
exceedingly few and small. The driller
came close to the can several times during
the trial, but failed to hit it, and Dick won
his bet.
BoMBARDING LYNX.
''In those days the woods all through the
oil regions were full of wild animals, and
it wasn't an uncommon sight to see bear
or Canada lynx or a catamount prowling
round the camps or isolated oil villages.
The lynx was frequently very aggressive
and bold, and it was greatly feared by the
drillers and others at the wells. More
than once men had been attacked by
lynxes, and James Carker, pumper, was
so badly hurt in fighting off one that had
jumped from a tree upon him as he was
driving through piece of woods, that he
died of his injuries. One day Devil Dick
was on his way to we'll with load of
nitroglycerin torpedoes, and he picked
Dan Sutton up on the way. On stretch
of the road through what was known as
Conway's woods, Dan discovered big
Canada lynx stealing along through the
branches of the trees at one side of the
road, and keeping even with the wagon.
He called Dicks attention to the animal,
and Dick said that it was watching for a
chance to attack them, but declared that
if it followed them as far as Clary's open
ing he would get rid of the dangerous
beast.
"Clary's opening was gap in the woods
and a ravine twenty feet wide and as many
deep. The lynR did follow the men as far
as the opening, and Dick stopped his
wagon.
TICKLIsH SUSPENSE.
"The lynx crouched few feet away from
the edge of the nearest wall of the ravine,
and before Sutton surmised how Dick in
tended to get rid of the animal Dick grabbed
up a can Of nitroglycerin and hurled it
with all his strength at the lynx, which
was not over twenty feet away. The can
struck the soft body of the lynx square in
one side and knocked the animal over on
its <. The flesh and fur of the lynx
did offer resistance to the can sufficient
to cause conclusion enough to explode it,
but the can rolled on the ground and slowly
down a gradual decline that led from where
the lynx lay to the edge of the ravine wall.
Sutton, with all his recklessness in hand
ling itroglycerin, stood aghast at this
deliberate risking of their lives by Dick,
for he knew that the instant the can rolled
into the ravine and struck the rocks below
the terrible explosion that had been so
luckily avefted by Dicks good aim at the
lynx would follow. Quicker than fash
he jumped from the wagon. tore like mad
up the ravine, and stood + -eath the spot
where the torpedo would tumble into the
gully when it reached the edge.
"a scraggy bush of some kind grew out
of the top of the wall, and just as Sutton
reached the spot the can of nitroglycerin
had rolled to the edge and struck against
the main stem Of the bush. The can had
struck it trifle out of the center, and the
heavier end of the torpedo moved on an
inch or two, until it extended little over
the edge.
KILLED ON RAILROAD. ~.
Sutton stood below with upreached
hands to catch the can if it fell, but there
it hung against the bush, in position that
looked as if breath of wind would topple |
it over into the ravine
"All this had occupied but few sec
onds. AS soon as the torpedo lodged |
against the bush Sutton ran back to the !
road, shouting to Dick to drive on so they
could get TO a safe distance before the fall |
ing of the can and its certain explosion on |
the rocks below. But when he got to the |
wagon he saw Dick with another torpedo |
raised, ready hurl it after the first one. |
He lowered it, though, aud looked around |
at Sutton as if he was disappointed.
1.-THE Internal wildcats give me the
slip, Dan, and took to the woods said he. |
Lordl but I'd like to bust one O. these |
shells on himP
THAT was probably the first and last |
time wild animal was ever hunted with /
four-quart nitroglycerin torpedoes, and |
that was the last trip Devil Dick ever drove |
for the company he was working fer. He /
wasn't discharged because he so recklessly /
endangered life and property by throwing |
cans Of nitroglycerin at lynx, but be /
cause drove on from the ravine without !
getting sck the first can he threw, and 1
the company would not stand such waste /
OF their property.
'Dick handled nitroglyeerin for four /
years after that, and never had an acct /
dent. He then quit the business and went /
TO braking on the Allegheny Valley rail
road He was killed At Miller Farm befor. /
he had railroaded week."-NeW York /