Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1892-04-10
TIE WEEKLY INDEPENDENT sUNDAY APRIL 10, 1892.
EiTRO:oLYCEN!NE hglOaCHs.
What Causes Il oai the General Effects
OF n Single whin OF SItrn-

What cauSes Il oaa the General Elects
OF u Single whin OF SItrn-
"a nitro-glycerine headache will
make q man about as uncomfortable
under his hat us anything 1 know Of"
said AZ oil producer from Bradford. Pm,
30 II gTonp NJ men who were discussing
the sensational attempts upon Russell
Sages life. among whom was q Philn-
delphia Record man. "a single whit
from q can of the explosive will make
Il man imagine he is just getting over
the effects of i night with the boys.
Nitro-Elycerine, as you may know, is
utilized very extensively in the oil
country for shooting oil wells. Hun
dreds of tons of the explosive are used
every year, and the men who manu-
facture 1t and torpedo wells would make
n small army II they were all turned
loose together. The business they fol-
low, too. is about rs dangerous as the
military business in war times, for not
a year. passes that q dozen or more
shooters. us h men who torpedo the
-T'clls are called, do not get blown mp.
Nitro-glycerinc goes Off at n very slight
shock, or Mt contact with fire, and in the
oil country the man who handles gly,
ccrinc Is looked upon rs al unfortunate
being with one foot In the grave. The
chances nre ten to one thu II lie sticks
Ia the business long enough se will be
blown up. 4..
IA nitro-giycerine headache is caused
ny the smell of the nitric and sulphur:c
acids which are used in malSil,r the
: explosive. Sweet glycerine oil, ~
s-veryope knows, Is q very harm
less liquid. but when subjected I,
tho acton Of the two acids named thu
resulting mii':-lilsc fluid is the most
| deadly explosive agent Snuwn- Neu
who make nitro-glycerine are Ut fir,t
subject TO these terrific headaches, but
after u few days ia the factory they be-
come accli.natcd to the smell, II such
NJ expression be permissible. But IL
they knock off work for n day or two
they are compelled to undergo the ac-
climuting experience again.
"a single 0!op or uit:o.g'yccrine eS-
ploGcd upon an anvil with a sledge-
hammer would probably blo;v the ham
mcr thirty feet IN the air. / knov: of u
blacksmith who was rcpe!ring II nitro
Glyccriue wagon In the oil country one
dny, when there was n loud explosion
and the wagon was literally taken all
"kShN -A' " AliD supp. "a
few drops o: glycerine had leaked from
the cans and lodged i6 the framcwork
of the wagon. Strange to relate, the
blacksmith escaped iniurr. but he nj
once hung up in his wipdow a little
card upon which waa written il n
slcdgc-hamusSs' hand: No nitro-Elycer-
inc wagons need apply
One day In The Iitusville oil field
n nitro-glycerine manufacture was
standing in front Of Il hotel. sbscpt-
mindedly kicking khe 1agstope Walk,
when there was . report about as loud
as the snap Of a cap, The man Few up
IL The mir about q foot and let out u yell
that WAS heard a block away. When
lie gat back on terra firrna agnin and
looked Mt his sect the shoe was tc:n ull
to PIECES in working ai,ou: his Giycer-
inc Inanutactory ne had evidently satu.
rated his shoe with n few drops Of the
explosive, which were set oil by the
stumping Of his foot"