Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1899-01-17
An kCT OF HEROISM.
:. i'ennsylvanin Weli-&hOoterC atche s
Twenty Quarts Of NItroElyccrIn
In His Arms.

''"' oh olu-tlule Bradford shooter,
played the role OF hero. lie played il
well, too. That the sensational drama
hid not turnout TO be tragedy in which
AK lives were taken in the last act is due
to the hero's cool head, quick decision
md superb nerve in the face CT almos:
certain death.
Singleton WAS one of TIE best known
shooters in the Bradford field. He had
Hl the qualities which enter into III"
makeup of i successful juggler with
deaths agencies. He had shot hundreds
Of wells and transported 9:yccrin AL
over roads Which, At certain seasons,
had no counterpart for ai.-rOun,i VII
i.iny anywhere. lat his reckless cal
ton had always av"rtcd Il catastrophe
up to the time nf which We write.
One day Singleton started out 10
shoot we'll lncaied r2ar Bradford. The
wei! had herH "dr;l.cl in" two ur three
days IC!":c. Ia he shooter had been
$50 b. =. - . :.nt
Arrive: =: -, W;il, Singleton pro-
crcdel - Ill it.> a.rils with glycerin
from E!s Gan. ,'i&t is proceeding Of
...,rle Gc.:- -. =, ''y"HriH allows 70 ~
critics L. i.y ;I..' =. uilh.:. Care mus, bc
Exercised - r"'.".. Z The stuff from the
cans into the shells
The well was about $500 feet dcco.
and during re insrva! since dri:li2g
had stopped about 1000 feet Of fluid had
accumulated in the hole.
There was nothing unusual about
:hat, but something unusual did happc..
speedily and most inoprortr"ciy; SONG
thing calculated 20 turn onr's hair gra;
md make such an impression on t."
memories Of the men present as TIM.
"ouid not cfface.
The giycerin shell had been lowered
:.-veral hundred feet, ard Singleton was,
.'"wly playing out the cord, when he
~; the line slacKcn. Immediately he
card an ominous rear. 1t was sound
- appall the stontest heart.
The well h1d started to flow!
Singleton knew the meaning of that
,Gund. I!r knew that cCiumn of oil
Geo feet high, cbeying the impetus Of
We mighty forces of nature, then in cor
u.&iIH 2,tCh feet underground, WAS
nrciI'.."" 10 the surface with velocity Of
cannon Eall she'll containing -
quarts Of g:yceriE.
lie realized That the propulsivr energy
Il that column Of oil would project ,hc
.nrll GG:.inst the timhrrs CT the dsrrir:;
9th tremendous force. No need to spec
Hlatc Gu what would follow thc.iinparI.
All this flashed upon 5iDg!rion'S cCn-
Hciousness as he stood lcaning over tie
Hule. The thought-flash and he signal
OF peril were col "Cidrnt in point of time.
II was ar awfHl mOmGnt--Such a mo-
lnent rs no man had ever experienced
..od lived TO describe.
Singlcton's companions understood
thc import CT that terrifying sound.
Acting upon Il natural impulse, they
;urncd 10 fec, seeking in flight tie
.,afty which they knew it was futile
o hope for. Almost before terror could
::part motion to their limbs the catas-
,ruphe would bcfall.
If Singleton had lost his head or hcsi-
lated for only II fractional part Of see
nnd, six men would have been blown
into eternity and another horror would
nave been added to the long list charged
20 the account of nitroglyccrin.
But he did not lose his head. He knew
that fight was useless. No time for
that. Whether he would run or stay.
Death seemed to he inevitable.
IL he should stay there was one chance
only one. IT came to Singleton like
nn inspiration. The one chance de-
cidCd him. Desperate as it was--a mil
lion to one that it would fail--he re-
solved to take II.
Who can say what passed through TIC
mans mind during the inappreciabic
traction Of time that he waited 10 put
his plan into execution?
Perhaps Singleton himself could not
describe what his mental vision eehrId
IN that brief interval bptwcen the
warning and the appearance Of the mes
"cnger Of eternity.
He was conscious Of nothing but the
peril which was rushing upon him and
his companions, and Of the stern resolve
20 stand at his post and do all that he
roic manhood could do to avert the i'm.
pending doom.
Men think quickly at such time. Sim
gleton's mind acted with the CELEBRITY of
lightning. His muscles obcyed the