The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-11
STEAM VS.. GRAVITY.
How a Mans Life Was Saved by
the Former.

81 think the most exciting race l ever
witnessed was one in which steam and
gravity were the contestants and human
life the stake" writes a contributor. In
the autumn of 1885 | allowed myself to be
financially interested in drilling well IN
the central part of Butler County. Pennsyl-
vania. Two thousand feet was about the
usual depth for that field, and at the time Of
the accident of which | am to tell the drill
was laundering away more than 1900 feet
below US.
1.-THE drill was about 45 feet long and
weighed something over 1000 pounds. At
tached to this was $500 feet of cable, which
passed from the mouth Of the well, over the
crown pully at the top Of the derrick, and
then down to the windlass, on which the
surplus length was coiled. The wihdlasS
was operated by the bull rope running
from band wheel, which in turn was con-
neeted with the engine The tools were
pulled from the we'll by means of the engine
turning this windlass and winding up the
cable.
ION the day in question the tools had just
been pulled, the battered bit unscrewed from
the stem. and a sharp one substituted, the
bailer sent on its three or four long trips
into the earth for its load of muddy water,
and the tools swung back to place and
started down the we'll.
"AlI went smoothly for few seconds
everything goes by seconds about an oil
well-when suddenly the drill stuck and
stopped. perhaps 400 feet below the surface.
Like fash the engine, relieved OF the strain,
ran wild. and began TO reel off stiff and
dirty cable over the derrick floor at dan
gerous rate, throwing one coil of the squirm-
ing mass squaTely over the tool-dresSer's
body just as the driller, who acts as engineer,
shut off steam.
Before a hand could be raised to release
the unfortunate captive, the blood was
nearly frozen in our veins to see that mass
of loosened cable running like lightning
down the well. The drill had started We
could not reach the man. The floor was
literally piled with an animated. writhing
mass of horrible death. Stiff and slippery
with dirty water, the loops and kinks were
hurled about as though in search of other
prey;
this twisting heap, unable to make an effort
at escape. 1t seemed there could be no
help for him. In an instant or two more
the cable would glide down that little hole
and then. with the final jerk of more than
ton of falling metal on the unfortunate man,
the force would come again on the windlass,
there to stop or break the line What mat
ter which to the poor fellow who must die
before?
"Fuliy half of the loose cable had rushed
10 do something, | sprang to the brake.
So Stopi Keep backv yelled the driller,
and his own hand opened the throttle.
- 1t came upon me In an instant then that
to stop the drill was to throw the full
weight on the mans body, while so long as
the line could be kept slack be was safe.
Then | understood. The driver meant TO
unreel the rope as fast as it descended.
Hardly an extra coil was left upon the
floor. The line was nearly taut. But at the
other end it rolled loose with a speed that
was frightful, and gliding swiftly about
the mans waist as round post plunged out
of sight
What race that was between two giant
powers working at either end of the Same
Incl The derrick quivered under the strain
of that lying windlaSs, while the drippings
from the rope were thrown in all directions,
covering the place from end TO end.
= In the eDgine-h0use one must have trem-
bled. fearing heengine would be torn from
its block, but still the driller at the other
end of the connecting rod urged il forward.
"Would he never gain on his antagonist?
1t seemed as IL he must, running at such
frightful rate, but every coil OF the cable
was snatched down the we'll as soon as it
left the windlaSs. True, he did not lose
ground, but when the very slightest loss
meant death to the man before us. there was
no great assurance OF safety in that.
Fortunately, extra steam had been
raised for pulling the tools, so that there
was no lack of power. Nor was it spared.
The crown ulley was threatening to Jump
from the block. but the weight held it back.
The windlass bearings were sending out
clouds OF smoke. The bull rope groaned
and creaked. The floor was trembling
under the vibrations of the flying wheels,
and the very ground shook as though torn
by an earthquake. Now stop, at last the
strainiug engine, for the race is over. Steam
has won.
"As soon as possible we released the pris-
oner. He was burned somewhat about the
waist where the cable had passed. but not
so badly as one would have expected. The
stiff line had not bent up close. but stood
out like a revolving barrel hoOp. Youths
Cntupapfon