The times., 1899-10-20
NITRO-GLYGERINB PLANTS
Little known Concerning the Pc.
cHIiarities Of the Explosive.
How the Strange FInid l. Manufac-
tnred-Its Production and Price
The Greatest Danger in Handling
the Article - some Yarns Spun
by Those Accustomed to II.

The tsremtesH bHnfeE III t"h"aii-
the Article some Yarns Spun
by Those Accustomed to II.
Nitro-gIycerine and its peculiarities are
little known. even in localities where it
is made. People generally give it wide
berth. and even less number know how
it is manufactured. Probably in no place
in the United States is there such great
amount Of the explosive used as in the
Indiana oil fields Indiana has four nitro
glycerine factories-two near Montpelier,
BIackford county; one at Button, and one
at Knightstown The Findlay Glycerine
Company. and the f. G. Garthwait Com
pany have their factories on the Spauld-
ing farm. two miles out OF Montpelier, and
they are seldom visited by curious people.
The explosive is made from a compost
tion OF acids and glycerine. II is generally
pale yellow in color. and quite colorless
when pure II is odoriess. and has a sweet
pungent, aromatic flavor II touched by
ones tongue or even brought into con-
tact with the skin. if viii produce a Sc
we're headache. A large tank, called an
agitator is where the fluid is mixed and
The mixture is composed OF equal parts
Of nitric and sulphuric acid Inside the
tank are several paddles, like those OF
Churn. and il is here that the real danger
Of the manufacture exists. The paddles
are put in operation. and a steady stream
OF sweet glycerine is turned into vat until
80 pounds are thoroughly mixed with the
J 800 pounds OF acid. The chemicals COM
ing in contact produce an intense heat,
and in order 10 obviate the danger cold
water is run through pipes enciTcling
and running through the vat. At eighty
five degrees Fahrenheit a red vapOr, al
most like FIRE, arises II cutting of the
supply OF glycerine in the agitator does
not lower the temperature it is time to
say farewell Before ninety degrees are
reached nothing but atoms Of the structure
and its contents are left
In its manufacture water is used TO food
the workr0Om. since drop falling on the
floor might lead to an explosion. Not =
nail is 10 be found in the floor OF the fac
tory. and the visitor is cautioned not to
drag his feet. Those who make the dan
gerous fluid say that a jar viii not cause
an explosion; that friction and fire are the
only agencies by which il can be discharg-
ed One may pour barrel OF nitro-glyc-
crime from high building 10 cement
walk below and il viii not explode. but
small quantity Of il dropped from the same
height in g can viii blow the building
down sharp conclusion instant y
touches it of. Factories become useless
after few years operation and have 10 be
destroyed. The timber becomes saturated
with nitro -glyeerine and an explosion Is
imminent al any time.
Production and Price.
The average production OF gIycerine from
500 pounds Of acid and 250 pounds OF
glycerine is about l40 quarts. The glye-
crime concerns in Ohio and Indiana are in
a trust. and the price within the last few
weeks has been advanced from s. cents to
- cents per quart. About 160 quarts con
stitute an average shot for an Indiana oil
well While magazine explosions are not
rare the T1al cause Of the blowing up never
bsoomes known Those who are close
enough 70 see the cause always 20 up
with the building The average tine FOR
q shooter or nitro -giycerine- maker TO re
main IN the business does not exceed five
years Death is instant. and no one has
ever recovered from q nitro -glycerine seci-
dent Bodies are torn 10 atoms no larger
than bits Of sausage. Two years ago a
magazine in the northern part OF Blackford
county went up. and George HtckOk. Harry
Woods and Two horses were practically an
initiated. The wages Of employees OF the
factories range from Sl25 10 $3.50 month
Strange as II may seem. the man who
made and exploded the first pound Of nitro
glyoerine in an oil well is hale and hearty
at seventy-tWO years Of age. He is Col.
William A. Myers. and his home Is AZ Bo-
lvar. \. Y. He built the first factory in
the United States, near Titusville, Pa in
1858. Up TO that time powder had been
used 10 torpedo oil wells. II was then
that an explosive that could be discharged
was frTrr1 n N frrrs- -p 1-fF1
Colonel Myers father was a Philadelphia
chemist and taught his son how TO make
It. The first well toTpedOed was on Colonel
Mills lease. near TitusviIle and the charge
consisted OF only two pounds. OIL was
worth s. a barrel then. and a torpedo that
would double the production OF a well Was
worth almost what the maker chose TO
ask fOr H. Colonel Myers built twelve diff
ferent factories IN different parts Of The
oil regions from 1868 10 1885. when he
retired from the business Only one of
the original factories stands intact today.
Myers made several fortunes and spent
his money ike a prince, but fortunately
FOR him he suill has a snug sum laid by.
shOOters' Experiences.
Wei shooters spin great yarns Of their
experiences and the stories are Of the hair
raising order. Vel shooters generally are
fstalists to a considerable degree in their
Lr4At-r nl4 4L - p4DbdDte DAE lFdH8H " ~
they DO not fear the fluid. They state that
when one would think ii was the most
dangerous the explosive is the safest. The
smallest drop canNbe placed on an anvil
and struck by the heaviest sledgehammer
and the hammer viii bound backward over
The shoulder of The striker, no matter how
much be may Try 10 hold it. Some claim
that IL viii tear the arm of but this is
eXaggeratiOn. Transporting the explosive
from q magazine 10 well is mol as dan
geTous as timid people think, according 10
the shooters. Il is transported in square
cans. such as are used for varnish. In pre-
pairing for shooting q well long tin shell
Is suspended in the tubing and the shooter
pCurs the fluid in as il il were water. Il Is
not unusual for 200 quarts 10 be in a we'll
shooters wagon on one trip. A slight leak
in q can may be touched Of BY friction
and explode the entire load. II il should
explode IN the centre OF q town every
building would be reduced instantly 20
debris.
Ever since the big explosion two miles
east Of Montpelier people give the nitro
glycerine wagons and the magazines q
vide berth. A big hole in the ground.
probably thirty feet in diameter and fifteen
feet deep IN the centre marks the pace
where the most disastrous uitro-g -glycerIu-
explosion Of Indiana ever oc-uue1 George
ElckOk, who lost his life there was the