Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-06
TOOL DRESSER DEAD.
Fatal Boiler Explosion at Laurel
Hill Yesterday Morning.
OIL WORKERS HAVE BEEN LUCKY.
One Light Fifth Sander Was Drilled il
= Northeast of Oakdale.
DEVELOPMENTS ARE EXPECTED SOON

Conrad Dougherty was killed at 3o'clock
yesterday morning by the explosion of n
boiler at Laurel Hill. He was employed as
a tool dresser at Greenlee & FOrst's No. on
the Miller farm. Laurel HilFis about half a
mile east of Mcdonald. DR.. Spahr was the
contractor. Daugherty was about 40
years of age and married. He resided
In Mansfield, but had no children. John w.
Riddle was the driller on tour when Dough-
erty was killed. He said yesterday that they
expected to reach the Gordon sand within
the next II hours after the explosion oc-
CURED.
just before the disaster Dougherty was in
the derrick. They had run the bailer three
on, and had not made a dozen
his death. Alter they hitched on Dougherty
started to go to the boiler, and Riddle stated
that he could not more than have reached
the boiler before the explosion came. They
Riddle says that the force of the explosion
whirled him around four or five
times, ana that he then fell to
the derrick floor in semi-unconscious
from their houses in the vicinity. Dougherty
was found lying on his back beside the
engine house fully 126 feet from the boiler.
He was dead when found. His head and
face were terribly cut upAby cinders and he
had gaping cash over the right eye and
one under the left. He was also cut consid-
eraDly ABOUT the trunk and nearly every
bone in his body was broken.
Doors and Windows Shattered.
Every pane of glass in half dozen miners
houses in the vicinity were broken. The
door and windows in the house of John
Burns were blown out, and a portion of the
boiler went through the bed and room
where his children lave been sleeping every
night until two days ago.
The conclusion following the explosion
was heard all through Mcdonald, and q
butcher at Midway three miles west, claims
that he also heard it.
Dougherty has been working on oil wells
for the last II years, and belongs in Venango
undertaking establishments in Mcdonald
yesterday morning, and were taken to Mans
field later in the day.
The boiler was one of the best made, and
it went all to pieces. Usually when boilers
explode from an over pressure of steam
they break in two parts, but yesterday
morning this one flew in 80 different direc-
tions. This leads to the belief that the ex-
plosion was caused by a shortage of water
i'll the boiler.
Drillers and tool dressers in the Mcdonald
field have been remarkably lucky in regard
to boiler explosions. The water in this ter
ritory has ruined twice the number or boil
ers which would be ordinarily used, and on
some wells as many as four boilers have
workmen have been fortunate in having so
few explosions.
II Will BE Practically Dry.
Gordiner & Co.'S No. on the Kennedy
farm, a mile north and east of Oakdale,
which has been closely watched as liable to
define new territory, was over 20 feet in the
fifth sand yesterday, and showing very
light. Practically it is no good.
rhe ton H was drng in
yesterday. This well is located only IS feet
from Gordiner's we'll.
Fitzgibbons II Co.'s well on the Kennedy.
which is located only few hundred feet
from the above wells, is down ], 400 feet.
Rend Il Robbins were drilling i'll the top of
the Gordon sand yesterday at their No. 1 on
the Robbins property east of Willow Grove.
They expected to get the pay late last even
ing.
Shef1ler Co. are drilling on top Of the
Gordon in the eastern part of Willow Grove.
their we'll at the Robbins trestle between
Noblestown and Willow Grove.
j. ID. Guffey Co.'S No. 3 on, the Mary
Spurgeon property near the Willow Grove
pump station is making $50 barrels a day
from the Gordon sand.
They have started to spud in their No. 4
on this property.
Greenlee & Forst's No. on the Wade
farm, south OF Mcdonald station, is due to
reach the Gordon sand Monday or Tuesday.
Their No. 4, ON the Miller farm at Laurel
Hill, will be drilled into the Gordon sand as
soon as they can rig up a boiler TO take the
place of the one which exploded yesterday
Scott Well Said to Have Improved.
The well of Knox Bros, Apple and Elyea
on the Scott farm, ~ miles south of Nc
Donald, was reported to have been agitated
yesterday and to be making from eight to
ten barrels an hour.
The Wheeling Gas Company's well, on the
Kelso Iarm, is reported to be making a tank
of oil every Is hours, or about Ii barrels an
hour, from the fifth sand.
Storey & Co. expect to reach the fifth sand
or Tuesday on the brickyard lot
west of Willow Grove.
Millison 4 Fried are drilling two wells on
The Henry Shaffer farm in the western Nc
Curdy field. located between the McGarr
arm we'll and the Forest Oil Company's No.
NJ. Wright.
Phillips & Co.'S we'll on the Schieb farm, in
southern McCurdy, is down 500 feet.
Personal
S. D. Karns, Familiarity known as "Dunc,"
was In Pittsburg yesterday. He returned !
'ecently from six years sojourn in Col |
,rado. "Dunc" was at one time the most |
widely known man in the oil regions of |
Karns City was named for |
lin, he built the Karns City and Butler |
Railroad, owned a bank, and had bigger |
production than any man in the /
United States Yesterday afternoon