The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-15

thing as enchanted bait" said Ezra, with a supo-
And yet II he had known what We KNOW
THE WAYS OF NITRO-GLYCERINE
How It Is Made, and What Happens When
1t Is Destroyed.
From the Indianapolis Journal
HARTFORD CITY Ind, Oct 7.-Nitro glycerin
and ts pecuiiarties little known even In locali
ties whore II Is made Probably in no other place
In the United States 10 there such q great amount
Of tho explosive used as in the Indiana oil feld.
Indiana has four nitro-glyoerin factories; two
near Montpelier. Blnclnord county. ono at Bluff
ton and ono at Knightstown
Tho explosive II made from a composition Of
acids and glycerin- II Is generally pale yellow in
color. II Is odorless and has a sweet pungent,
aromatic flavor. II touched by ones tongue or
even brought into contact with the skin II will
produce severe headache. A large tank, called
an agitator Is where the fluid is mixed, and the
mixture Is composed Of equal parts Of nitric and
sulphurio acid. Inside the tank are several pad
dies, like those Of churn and II Is hero that tho
real danger In tho manufacture exists. Tho
paddles arc put in operation and q steady stream
Of sweet giycerin Is turned into the vat until $50
pounds arc thoroughly mixed with tho 1900
pounds Of acid. Tho chemicals coming in con-
tact produce an intense heat and in order to OBJ
viate the danger cold water Is run through pipes
encirciing and running through tho vat At 50
degrees Fahrenheit a red vapor. almost Ike fire,
arises II cutting OF tho supply Of glycerin in
the agitator does not lower tho temperature II Is
time to say farewell. Before 90 degrees are
reached nothing but atoms Of the structure and
its contents arc left
In its manufacture water n used to food the
workroom. since drop falling on tho floor might
lead to an explosion Not nah Il TO DO found
in tho floor Of tho factory. and tho visitor Is eau
toned not to drag his feet Those who mako the
dangerous fluid say that one may pour q barrel
Of nitro fycerin from high building 70 a cement
walk below. and u Will not explode. but Q small
quantity Of II dropped from tho same height In q
can WIN blow tho building down A sharp con-
cussion instantly touches Il Of Factories be-
come useless after few years operation and have
to DO destroyed. The timber becomes saturated
with nitro lycerin and an explosion Is imminent
at any time
Tho average production Of glycerin from 1900
pounds Of acid and go pounds Of glycehn is about
140 quarts The glycerin concerns In Ohio and
Indiana arc in a trust and tho price within tho
past few weeks has been advanced from 85 cents
TO o. cents per quart About 100 quarts constitute
an average shot for ON Indiana oil well While
magazine explosions are not rare the real cause
Of the blowing up never becomes known Those
who arc close enough TO sec tho cause always 60
up with the building. The average time for q
bushes does not exceed Ave years. Death is Is
instant and no one has ever recovered from o
Two years ago a magazine in the northern part
q hIsc Wot county went up and George hekoe
tories Tanse from s1ss % si5o %onsh 'A' mo
Strange as T. i may 4 " seem the man who mado
an oil we'll Is hale and hearty at ~ years Of age He
Is col william 4 Myers; and his home Is Al Boil:
States near Titusvie. Pa in is6s Up to thai
time powder had been used to torpedo oil wells II
was then that an explosive that could DO discharged
Myers's father was a Philadelphia chemist and
taught his son how to make T. Tho first we'll
vile and the charge consisted OF only two pounds
OH was worth 50 a barrel then, and torpedo that
almost vha, the maker chose to ask for II Col
Myerse built twelve different factories In different
Of ihs , oil ss To@ 1893 70 lS Thsn
original factories stands intact today. Myers
made several fortunes and spent his money like
prince but, fortunately for him, he still has q
Well shooters spin great yarns Of their expert
Well shooters generally fatalsts to consider.
able degree In their belief, and II is probably one
h xhe hss DO would ssl III nS
dangerous the explosive is the safest The smallest
drop can be placed on an anvil and struck by
bound back over tho shoulder Of the striker no
claim that 1t will tear the arm off, but this is
| aggerated. Transporting the explosive from q
| magazine to a we'll is not as dangerous timid
people think. according to the shooters. Il is
| transported in square cans such as used for
varnish In preparing for shooting we'll a long
tin shell is suspended in the tubing and the shooters
pours the fluid in as II ii water It Is not I'M
usual for two hundred quarts to be in
! a we'll shooter wagon on one trip A
slight leak in can may be touched
II II should explode in the centre of town every
| building would be reduced instantly to debris.
| Ever since the big explosion two miles east Of
Montpelier people give the nitrogIycerin wagons
| and the mag zines wide berth A big hole in tho
ground, probably thirty feet in diameter and If
teen feet deep in the centre marks the place where
the most disastrous nitTogl ycern explosion Of In
diana ever occurred. George Hckocls, who lost
| his life there was the oldest shooter in Indiana
and is said TO have held the record for the best
| time in executing the dangerous task. There is
no doubt that he dropped the goodwill" In moro OF
Indiana's famous oil wells than any shooter ever
| in the field.
Considering tho danger he encounters tho
shooter is poorly paid The glycerin companies
| pay him ten cents quart for doing tho work,
which means he gets from 50 to SIG for every
| charge he handleR