Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-05
NERVY OIL MEN.
Lewis Robb Squeezes Down a Tight
Hole for Eighty-FiVe Feet
TO RECOVER A sPUDDING BIT.
A Well Shooter Saves Bis Life by Exercising
Ills Nerve.
STANDING OFF DEATH WITH ONE HAND

The most remarkable feat ever attempted
in the oil regions was successfully accom-
plished at Noblestown yesterday.
Lewis Robb, slender young tooldresser,
who has as much nerve as muscle, went
down in an oil we'll IS feet and hitched
chain to spudding bit.
The we'll belongs to Marshall, Kennedy q
Co., of Allegheny, and it is known as their
No. Sudekim. Smith Bros. are the con-
tractors who are drilling the well. When
the we'll reached depth of S5 feet, the
spudding bit, which is Is inches wide across
the bottom, 2H feet high, and 4
inches across the top, became
loosened from the long iron
to which it was attached. They ished for
several days without being able to dislodge
1t from the bottom. Some one jokingly
suggested that Robb ought to 20 down
after it. He took the proposition seriously
and said he was willing to undertake the
perilous job.
A Tight squcez. for Robb.
The conductor box was pulled out, and by
several measurements the drillers found
that the 13-inch bit made about 16-inch
circular hole, as it was being turned and
twisted in the drilling. There was possi-
bility that the air in the hole might be bad,
and to find out whether such was the case
they let down lanterns and candles, but the
air was found to be pure.
Robb was then tied in a rope harness
made of the sand line by the other drillers
and was carefully lowered by them into the
hole. He was soon out of sight to his
friends in the derrick. but called up that he
could see everything around him. When
he went down he carried a chain over his
shoulder to which the cable or rope used in
drilling was fastened. On reaching the
bottom Of the hole he found that it was
filled up over the top of the bit
with water. 1t was as cold as a
miser's smile, but Robb dropped into
around the head of the bit He then sig
nailed to be pulled up, and soon after he
reached the derrick floor the drillers
turned on the steam and the spudding bit
followed. For his trip Robb was presented
with $50 by the contractors.
A Torpedo shootefs Nerve.
There was another instance Of nerve dis
played near Noblestown yesterday. Joe
dies nitro-glycerine daily, enough Of it in
fact to blow himself and team absolutely
out of existence. He is also a young man
of slight figure Yesterday he was
engaged to shoot Greenlee and Forst's No.
1 McMurray with 90 quarts of nitro-glycer-
inc The well had been cleaned out during
the forenoon, and was in good condition to
flow. 1t was one of the biggest wells
around Noblestown and few days ago was
making over 100 barrels an hour.
Van Curen lowered the shell into the
mouth Of the well, filled it with the 20
quarts of glyceriDe, and was just ready to
let it down to the sand whea the we'll
started to flow. To let 60 meant death.
The glycerine would have been blown into
the derrick and deadly explosion would
have been the result
Van Curen grasped the shell, and for ten
minutes held 1t in the mouth of the we'll
while the strong pressure of gas below was
throwing the oil almost to the top of the
derrick. It was one of the finest flows
which the we'll had made for days, and
when it ceased Van Curen was almost
smothered by the barrels of spraying oil
which had fallen upon. him. HIS nerve
saved his life.
If your complaint is want of appetite,