Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-02-07
A DEADLY COMPOUND.
Largely Used I'm the OIL Regions for
shooting Wells-The First Man
Who Used the Explosive
tor That Purpose.

tor That Purpose.
Nitroglycerin and its peculiarities
are little known even in localities
where II is made. Probably in no other
place in the United States is there such
u great amount of the explosive used
as in the Indiana oil field. Indiana
has four nitroglycerin factories; two
near Montpelier, Blackboard county,
one at Bluffton and one at Knights
town.
The explosive is made from a COM
position of acids and %glycerin. 1t is
generally pale yellow in color. Ii is odor-
less and has a sweet, pungent, aromatic
flavor. II touched by ones tongue or
even brought into contact with the
skin it will produce a severe headache.
A large tank, called IN agitator, is
where the fluid is mixed, and the mix
ture is composed of equal parts of nj
trio and sulphuric acid. Inside the
tank are several paddles, like those ora
churn. and il is here that the real dan
ger in the manufacture exists. The
paddles are put in operation and a
steady stream Of sweet glyceriu is
turned into the vat until go pounds are
thoroughly mixedwith the 1900 pounds
of acid. The chemicals coming in con
tact produce an intense heat and in or
der TO obviate the danger cold water
is run through pipes encircling and
running through the vat. At SIS de-
grees Fahrenheit a red vapor, almost
like fire, arises. II cutting off the sup
ply Of glycerin in the agitator does not
lower the temperature it is time to say
farewell. Before 30 degrees are reached
nothing but atoms of the structure and
its contents are left.
In its manufacture water is used TO
flood the workroom, since a drop fall
ing on the floor might lead to ani explo-
sion. Not a nail is to be found in the
floor of the factory, and the visitor is
cautioned not to drag his feet. Those
who make the dangerous fluid say that
one may pour a barrel of nitroglycerin
from n high building to a cement walk
below, and il will not explode, but a
small quantity of it dropped from the
same height in a can will blow the
building down. A sharp one sion in
stantly touches it off. Factories be-
come useless after a few years opera
tion and have TO be destroyed. The
timber becomes saturated with nitro
glycerin and In explosion is imminent
at any time.
The average production of glycerin
from 1,500 pounds of acid and $50
pounds of glycerin is about 140 quarts.
About 100 quarts constitute an average
shot for an Indiana oil well. While
magazine explosions are not rare, the
real cause of the blowing up never be-
comes known. Those who are close
enough to see the cause always go up
with the building. The average time
for a shooter or nitroglycerin maker to
remain in the business does not en-
coed five years. Death is instant, and
no one has ever recovered from n nitro
| glycerin accident. Bodies are torn to
atoms. Two years ago a magazine in
the northern part Of Blackford county
went up and George Hickock, Harry
| Woods and two horses were practically
annihilated. The wages of employees
Of the factories range from s125 to $3.50
a month.
Strange as II may seem, the man who
made and exploded the first pound Of
nitroglycerin in an oil well is hale and
hearty at ~ years of age. He is Col.
William A. Myers, and his home is at
| Bolivar. n. Y. He built the first fac
tory in the United States, near Titus
| vile. Pa, in 1865. Up to that time pow
der had been used to torpedo oil wells.
1t was then that an explosive that could
be discharged under water was found
in nitroglycerin. Col. Meyers father
was a Philadelphia chemist and taught
| his son how to make it. The first well
torpedoed was on Col. Mills lease, near
| Titusville, and the charge consisted OF
only two pounds. Oil was worth nine
dollars a barrel then, and n torpedo
that would double the production of n
well was worth almost what the maker
chose to ask for it. Col. Myers built L.
different factories in different parts of
the oil regions from 1868 to 1855, when
he retired from the business. Only one
of the original factories stands intact
to-day. Myers made several fortunes
and spent his money like a prince, but,
fortunately for him, he still has a snug
sum laid by.
Ever since the big explosion two
miles east of Montpelier people give
the nitroglycerin wagons and the mag
azines n wide berth. A big hole in the
ground, probably 80 feet in diameter
and Is feet deep in the center, marks
the place where The most disastrous nj
t%roglycerin explosion of Indiana ever
occurred. George Hickock, 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 ~"go-deviT" in more
Of lndiana's famous oil wells than any
shooter ever in the field.
Considering the danger he encoun'
tiers. the shooter is poorly paid. The
glycerin companies pay him ten cents
a quart for doing the work, which
means he gets from nine TO sixteen dol
lars for every charge he handles.-ln-
dianapolis Journal.