Evening star., 1898-05-06
ACT OF HEROISM.
A Well Shooter Catches 20 Quarts of
Nitro-Glycerin in His Arms.
From he Philadclphia press

From the Philadelphia Press.
One of the most thrilling experiences
recorded in the annals of shooters careers
was that in which Dick Singleton, an old
time Bradford shooter. played the role of
hero. He played it well, too. That the
sensational drama did not turn out to be
a tragedy in which six lives were taken
in the last act is due to the hero's cool
head, quick decision and superb nerve in
the face of almost certain DEATH
Singleton was one of the best known
shooters in the Bradford field. He had
all the qualities which enter into the make
up of u successful juggler with deaths
agencies. He had shot hundreds of wells
and transported glycerfn all over the coun-
try in all kinds of weather and over roads
which, at certain seasons, had no counter
part for all-round villainy anywhere; but
his reckless caution had always averted a
catastrophe up to the time of which we
write.
One day Singleton started out to shoot
q we'll located near Bradford The we'll
had been drilled in" two or three days
before, but the shooter had been too busy
to put in a shot.
Arrived at the we'll, Singleton proceeded
to fill the shells with glycerin from his
cans. That Is a proceeding of some deli
cacy, as glycerin allows no liberties to
be taken with it. Care must be exercised
in pouring the stuff from the cans into
the SnellS.
However all went well, and Singleton
began to lower cylinder into the hole.
Several persons stood In the derrick watch
ing operations with the curious interest
which custom may abate but cannot kill
utterly.
The we'll was about 1900 feet deep and
during the interval since drilling had
stopped about 1000 feet of fluid had ac-
cumulated in the hole
There was nothing unusual about that;
hut something unusual did happen speedily
and most iropportunely; something calcu-
lated to turn ones hair gray and make
such an impression on the memories of
the men present as time could not efface.
The glycerin shelf had been lowered sew
eral hundred feet, and Singleton was slow
ly paying out the cord; when he felt the
line slacken. Immediately he heard an
ominous roar. It vas 2 sound to appall
the stoutest heart. IL
The well had started to flow!
Singleton knew the meaning Of that
sound. He knew that column Of oil 1,OOO
feet high, obeying the impetus OF the
mighty forces of nature then in convul-
sion 1900 feet underground, was forcing
to the surface, withiasnselocity Of a cannon
ball, shell containing twenty quarts of
He realized that the propulsive energy
of that column Of Oil would project the
shell against the tfmbess of the derrick
with tremendous force.uNo need to spec
ulate on what would follow the impact.
All this was flashed upon Singleton.s
consciousness as ne stood leaning over the
hole The thought-fiash and the signal of
peril were coincident in point of time.
1t was en- awful moment-such mo-
ment as no man had ever experienced
and lived to describe.
Singieton's COMPANIONS understood the
import of that terrifying sound Acting
Up3n natural impulse, they turned to
aee 1hey sasNf sneW L Vas futile Is ksps fof iSn W
most before terror could impart motion to
their limbs the catastrophe would befell-
If Singleton had lost his head OF hesitat-
ed for o.lly q fractional part of a second.
eix men would have been blown into eter-
nifty and another horror would have been
added to the long list charged to the ac-
count of nitro-glycerin,
that fight was useless. No time for that,
Whether he should run or stay, death
seemed to be inevitable.
II he should stay there was one chance