The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-14
NITRO-GLNCERINE
KEEP AWAY.

Hs' 100
II was without windows and tho door hnd
holyv hinges, and q heavy bar across il was
secured by q strong, good paddock: Tor, strange
~ II may seem, my companion informed me IL
was no uncommon thing 10 have n magazine
broken into and a wagOnload Of the contents
stolen ON one side Of the door hung a horse
shoe held bv a string Inside were arranged
several NagOnlnadS Of cans, not shooters
wagons, but stock wagons, that hold from
scvcnty-two to uiupty-siN cans Twelve cans
We're quickly placed under the seat and We
started again. Somehow the road seemed
rclgher and the horses not nearly SO steady after
wcwcrc loaded, although ] was assured that tho
wagon always swung easier when loaded. AZ
# this road was too good, we turned OF into n
mere track. where tho trees had simply been cut
" 10 enable wagon and team 10 got through.
! would much rather have walked but my COM
unnion seemed very unconcerned. and re-
Elected that If II was his ordinary occupation I
would try TO stand II for once Hekept RECALLING
mo with anecdotes of his eNuerienCes with those
who wished IN ride and didn't know his business;
somehow would make him stop while they got
out and ran while others would got out and stay
long enough to bless him for not telling before
they got in
A. the road kent getting steener and stonier
] did not hear all the stories he told me. hut
began TO wonder Il ! couldn't manage 10 get
as no began telling about the rattlesnakes and
copperheads he had killed going through this
rattles he had i'm his pocket. 7 hate snakes
and decided 10 hold on, but couldn't help feel
ing that tho fools weren't all dead vet. and
fearing that one NJ them might be any minute.
and without leaving much behind him for hi,
friends to mourn over. At length We reached
tho main road. and in q fcw minutes a we'll M
on the hillside was pointed ont as our destina-
ton. some moro rough rond brought Ne -
within about fftv fcet Of the derrick door.
when the horses were unhitChed, taken IN soms
distance. md each one securely tied 70 a tree.
Now the real business of shooting the well
hegan. After learning the depth of the well
and how far above the bottom the sand was.
enough of Tho small tin pipe known as anchors
was brought M and iointPd together to hold
the shell in the required place. The reel was
holted to the engine hywheel as near the
o"n,r" a. CGnyeGi"9t Ihe drilling engine =
pulley. on the other, and the shaft does not
extend beyond either huh The tools had
been stood on the casing head 20 helm hold ths
Ca.n e in when tho shot went OF, and 10 them
n small rome carving n pulley was dashed in
such q uo~itiou a TO hc directly ovcr the hole.
At this noint tho drillers and owners con-
clude1 that they had business elsewhere. and
had faith enough ia the shooter IN let him finish
hand. brought IN" nitroElycerine IN over tho
rocks and logs 10 the derrick I didn't ofer
run doWnth he reel through the pulley. the anchor
titted To the bottom of the shell. the sholl care
fully lowered into the hole and hung on ths
hook at the end Of the line This hook i mnds
so that when the torpedo ro~tS at the bottom
of the we'll it unhooks and the ball drops to ons
Before leaving the drillors had nourod water
into the hole, 50 that II stood about 3ON feet, ths
hole being, Liza feet doep altogether. on
round piece NJ iron with q i.-inch rod on the
lower end Of this rod n long. cap, which rested
on "a small anNll piece Inc Ep-1pNH. when
dropped, should strike the plate and explode
tho cap
the shell up 80 that the top stood about thres
feet above the floor, and securely locked the
reel The cans were then unCOrkcd, and |
noticed that there we're two corks to each can,
the holes being on opposite corners, A. they
didn't want any stopping over The contents
were poured into the shells, and looked much
for me TO realize the energy stored M there,
and that a few drops were enough to tear me
As we walked back to the reel my companion
that perhaps ! had better withdraw
to a distance. a. the most dangerous time was
When I start letting M that brake. II any,
thing should stick and then. drop, II might
be Interesting, and If the reel does not work
smooth and even I cannot tell how things are
going down in the hole. Sometimes a shell
sticks and. unhookS; and sometimes the bail
sure" As he spoke | began To realize
that a few cents on the price paid for getting
IN 2 business like, that, In q few minutes the
shell was at III" bottom. and | was given tls
privilege" of d%ropring the goodwill We walked
been a hpodoo. A. the shot failed 70 respond,
md another go-deyil did no better Then .
lack suuib was made. This i simplv n small
tube with about two or three ounces Of nitro
r%lvCcrlne IN the bottom. several feet " water
iuN"' WIN a cap IN the lower end in tho
Col"d up, aud some sand packed
N to max" weight 10 sink il through the fluid.
The hl~' i lighted WIN, the sguib dropped
mo wv iN'. ms ulu inc WORK. We COuld
lee, n lAr men came n rush Of air. then sand
aud gravel, aud ,wsh a great rush and roar
III" water and dirt came forth. going high
over lhe ton Of IA" derrick
In ruSler country this might be followed
by - flow Of oil amounting sCinc,ine~ 10 seNera
,hou>ald barrels III tw"uty-iCur hours, or by a
now oi Sa-, with q pressure Of hundreds -
per SQUARE inch and a roar that can he heard
Tor miles. MI III" fire under the boiler ard
Elsewhere around a well i eEunguished before
shooting, A. some gas J., always present, and
many me-, lave been burned up by the sas
This we'll turned out to be a snail
nuiupeT., W" lctt II 10 the drillers to finish:
hey had Ia clean out and then the owner
iubcd 1t.
A. ] drove back with the shooter il seemed
4 long time since had left the shop, ard did
lot think would care 10 exchange Jobs with
nm y he dld get g. per shot for his work, and
lp in the night and taking on such a load. az
5 often done. Most OF the hauling OF stock
= done at night, AZ 1t is cooler, there are less
cams on fhe road and fewer people 70 ktak