Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-03

will produce an e1cruciating backache.
Nitro-glycerine Is Of light yellow color,
and has sweet, pungent. aromatic taste.
The dynamite, if tasted, is sweet at hrsf, but
presently leaves biting sensation.
Thh men who work at the Acme factory
are mostly experienced in the handling Of
the explosive. One Of them, Parker Graft,
was once blown high into the air by an ex-
plosion at the great Dupont Dynamite
Works, opposite Chester, Pa. AT that time
six men were killed. William 3. Arthur,
another of the Acme workmen, was formerly
with the Acme Dupont Mill. He says 1t il
time to leave factory when experiments
are begun. On the occasion of the explo-
sion at the Dupont works the managers were
experimenting to see If the refuse from the
nitro-glycerine tanks could not be utilized.
A Very Marrow Escape.
Mr.. Stickney, manager of the Acme
Works, has been handling the stuff for 13
years. "The only time was ever very
badly frightened" he said to me, twas in
the spring OF 1879. I was shooting oil
wells in the Bradford field. Early one
morning started out with 33 pounds of
nitro glycerine in two cans, one can contain
ing 20 pounds and the other 13. I put the
heavy can in the bottom OF bag and the
light one in the other end, and slung it
across nv shoulders. A small stream lay in
my path, and the log by which I had to
cross this brook was about four feet above
the water. wore rubber boots, and just
at the edge of the log slipped on piece Of
ice which had not observed. I lost my
balance and fell on the stones in the brook.
~ then suppose though more in second
oftime than. i have In any one hour since! For
the bag of elycerine to come crashing down
on the stones with me meant instant death
of the most terrible nature. Quick as fash
my right arm shot out above me to its full
length, for you see am strong man. My
whole effort was to hold the bag in the air,
and keep it from touching the ground. I
fell on my left side. One of the glycerine
cans struck me on the breast, and tie other
on the right cheek. At last my under hand
sustained me, and felt the fall was over.
The other arm still held the bag above my
head. At the time was not frightened,
but when got up on the bank of the run
nearly tainted from the reaction, and I had
to sit still for spell. I don't want any
more such experiences.
Drove Nail Into 1t.
In Mr.. Stickney,s personal experience he
has known Of many terrible casualties. In
1882, when he was with dynamite factory
at Allentown, q workman found the bung
of nitro-glycerine vat frozen on "A winter
morning, and he tried to open IL by gently
driving nail through It. The works blew
up and he was killed. Mr.. Stickney man
aged some of the dynamite work on the
construction Of the gigantic Croton aque-
duct in New York. One Of his employees in
dragging bucket Of nitro-giycerine from
under the fawcet Of O vat caused friction by
one Of the iron hoops Of the rubber pail.
These hoops sometimes slip down just the
fraction of an inch, and for that reason Mr..
Stickney had ordered that buckets should
always be lifted, never dragged out from
the vats. This man d:sobeyed orders, and
the works were blown up, the fellow being
torn to atoms. Mr.. Stickney was on his
way to the factory, and half mile away
heard the explosion.
When Nitro-Glyoerins Freezes.
Nitro-glycerine, when exposed for con-
siderable time to q freezing temperature,
crystallises In long needles-bea utiful,
transparent, amber icicles. Break one Of
these icicles, even gently as you may, and
it will explode with appalling violence.
While be was making dynamite in Somer-
set county, Pa, few years ago for the con-
struction Of the Inflated South Penn Rail-
rosd workman dropped can containing
less than pint of nitro-glycerine. and two
men were killed. Only few months ago a
man over in the Washington oil field was
putting hoop on tank, and the conclusion
set off a lot of glycerine and he was killed.