Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-02-27
NITRO -GLYCERLNE ENPE-
RIENCE.

young man, who said he was a well shooter,
was going 10 torpedo a well some six miles
out in the country at daylight the next
morning, and would he very glad to have
me go with him.
At four o'clock the following morning |
awaited, at the stable where he kept his
spirited team, the coming of my new friend.
few minutes later he appeared, bearing
on his shoulder bundle of new tin tubes
ten feet long and two and five inches in di-
ameter.
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 The seat was hinged aud
swung forward Beneath it was strong
box divided into six square padded com
partments. To my great relief they were
empty.
While sleepy hoster was harnessing
the team-two iet-back spirited young an
imals, for a torpedo man prides himself up
on the mettle of his horses-my compan-
ion affixed TO the left hand side of the bug
Ky two curved iron rests, something like
those placed at the back of victims head
10y photographer They we're also pad
ded, and in them was laid and securely
lashed the bundle of tin tubes. In the
=
iron reel on which were wound some two
thousand feet of stout oil-soaked cord a
coil Of fuse, another Of small wire, and a
'go-devi.' As we took our places and
the lively team sprang away, | ventured to
remind the torpedo-man that he had for
gotten his nitro-glycerine
"Oh, no. | haven't" he laughed. 81 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 the well we are going to shoot this
morning, so that we sha mt have to drive
more than a mile with the stuff aboard
The morning air seemed to intoxicate our
team, for they danced along the road, oc-
casionally springing from side to side in
mock terror Of a stump, black bowlder,
or the puff Of steam from a pumping en-
gine. These exhibitions Of equine reck
lessness and disregard of consequences
were 10y no means reassuring, and would
have been most alarming had the stuff ~
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 char
acter of our equipage, they drew as far as
possible to the side of the road, and respect
fully waited for us to pass.
'Oh yes said the torpedo-man 81 al
ways 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 dissi-
pated 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 bug
gy bounced with such plunges and slides
that 1t was difficult to retain ones seat
is the magazine in here = asked
'Nes only short distance ahead
You surely don't drive out this way
with the glycerine aboard y
"Why, of course. This is the only road
1t isn't first-class one, I'll allow but if it
was too good, inquisitive folks might be
tempted to come in here. It's safe enough,
though The supply wagon came in here
only the day before yesterday with thou
sand 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 windowless build
ing VI IOukH lbhIuHs lilt hlIklt AltlOI vi
which was fastened by an ordinary pad
lock. In conspicuous place on its front
was nailed sfgn that read Danger !
Keep away from this building :" This sign
fascinated me, so that | could hardly avert
my gaze from it, even though | plucked a
wild rose from bush that leaned confd-
ngly against the magazine, and pretended
to be careessly admiring its beauty.
ssHou p,uph ic thara in tbara ~ | acE al
"Oh, fifteen hundred quarts or so
enough anyway, to blow Oil City out of
/ sight, answered my companion as he un.
| locked the door and stepped inside.
Rejecting that the danger could be nc
greater in the building than ten feet from
| it, | followed him. The interior was packe
| full of square two-gallon tin cans, each Of
which had handle on top and two cork
! plugged vent holes. They looked as though
| they might contain maple syrup or some
thing equally harmless but knowing wha
/ they really did hold started the perspra
ton ON my forehead as gazed at them.
Taking two at time the torPedo-maT
set four of the cans on the ground outside
the magazine and relocked the door. TheI
drawing a sharp steel instrument that looked
! like an ice-pick from his bootleg, he dul
out one of the tightly driven corks from
each can, and examined its contents to sat
isfy himself it was full They were Thel
the corks were replaced, and as ! handed
them one at a time up to him, he gently
set the packages into the padded compart
ments provided for them, and in anothe
minute we were driving away from tn
lonely magazine over the stumps, rocks
and bog holes of the horrible trail, witt
one hundred and twenty pounds of nitro
glycerine liable 10 explode with the slight
est conclusion, snugly slowed beneath on
seat.
The ride over that rough forest trail wa
altogether too exciting TO be enjoyable
was like being confined in the crater of
volcano known to be on the eve of AN erup
tiOn, and the main road, when reached
seemed haven of safety. The remainin
mile of our drive was made without inc
dent, though we drove at what appeare
to me a reckless pace, the torpedo-man say
ing that we were little late,
At last we turned in through pair O
bars. and, crossing a field, came to a ne'
derrick that marked the well we were t
shoot. The horses we're securely hitche
70 a tree, and the contents of the bugg
were carried to the WELL where the rec
was made fast to stout post, From ther
its cord, which terminated in an iron hOOR
was carried through block hung directl
above the pipe that extended thousan
feet down into the earth number G
drilers and other men interested in th
well, who had been lounging about the del
rick, left in a body as the tOrpedoman eI
tered it, carrying two cans of nitro-glycI
rine, and | followed with two cans mOr'
They walked off to a respectful distanc'
nA thara cot hptsrr, N aNuait Aayalpnuvanti M
Then we-for now found myself install
ed as chief assistant-proceeded 10 bus
ness First the small tin tubes were Join
ed together until they formed pipe sixt
feet long, and were thrust into the wei
where held them in position. This wa
the anchor" and its duty was TO suppO
the large tubes, or 'shels.n at the propt
distance above the bottom of the deep hOl
Next one Of the larger-ten feet long
tubes, that had funnel-like end, was iitte
into the upper anchor tube, and ! was il
structed TO let the whole slip down unit
only foot of the shell projected above q
surface. Then the torpedo-man withdre
the corks from the glycerine cans, al
slowly but steadily poured the contents
two or three of them into the shell,
seemed as though that ten:Oot drop mu
afford a conclusion sufficient to produce d
explosion, and am certain that as the fir
drops Of the oily-looking stuff fell TO Il
bottom of the shell my heart ceased
beating. The cool steadiness of the torp
do-man, and his evident knowledge of VIII
he was about reassured me, however,
that ! not only held the first shell while
was being filled, but the second, to viii,
the first was attached 10y hooks Of copp'
wire.
When both shells were filled and hook
on 10 the stout cord that dangled ahoye Il
WELL IA percussion-cap was placed und
the hring-Pan, small iron plate loose