Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-10-02
KEGS THAT BLOW UP.
They Look Empty and Harmless,
But They Are Full Of Danger.

They Look Empty and Harmless,
But They Are Full of Danger.
Anton Colman, veteran dynamite
man, is perhaps one of the oldest Of all
the old-timers and has been looking af-
ter high explosives for the past rs or 80
years. He has been on most OF the
big jobs in Massachusetts and in many
parts Of New England and has had
many hairbreadth escapes and excit-
ing adventures. Mr.. Colman is about
10 years old, and was born in Maine.
Dynamite and the blasting powder
which we have today, Is much different
from what it used to be in the days
when I first started in the business"
said Mr.. Colman, "and am not so well
posted on everything as I might like to
be, but there are some things about
handling powder that when a man
learns them once, he never forgets as
long as he lives, and no matter what
kind Of powder is used or how much
the style changes, it is all the same;
they will still be careful and watch
their business mighty close. OF course,
Of all the explosives. nitro-gycerine is
the most dangerous and the hardest
to get along with. 1t has as many
moods and is as hard to manage some
times as the spoiled child or a woman
who wants her own way.
II never got over my great respect
fny
treat 1t with every Difference, and will
be as gentle and peaceful in its pres
ence as any tyro. A man can never
get any experience in handling nitro
glycerine. The more he handles 1t the
less he Is liable to know about it. For
he realizes more and more how uncer-
tain 1t Is.
why, even the kegs that nitro
glycerine comes in are white elephants
on mans hand, for they are mighty
hard to get rid Of, I tell you. The
wood has been so thoroughly satura-
ted with the stuff that it cannot be
burned and cannot be broken up, and
they can't be left lying around loose,
does not. know anything about them
and bang something into them and off
goes the roof.
II remember a fellow out In the
western part Of the state, several years
ago, who came along with a hammer
In his hand. He sat down on an emp
ty nitroglycerine keg and playfully
amused himself by tapping the slaves
with his hammer. I saw him and ran
to place Of safety and tried my best
to warn him by shouting, put it was
no use; the keg finally blew up with
loud report and the poor fellow lin
sered in the hospital about two weeks
before he died.
II am even more afraid Of these emp
ty nitroglycerine kegs than am Of the
explosive itself or Of any other kind Of
powder or dynamite. You can always
tell when to be careful when the real
stuff is around, but If some one hap
pens to leave an empty keg or barrel
in the way you might not know 1t
until you had dropped a crowbar or
sledge-hammer into it or tipped it over
and then, after you found 1t out, you
would be in no condition to tell any
one Of your discovery.
"The only way to get rid Of these
empty kegs or barrels is to take them
at them from a safe distance, and even
that is not an undertaking that would
advise person to try, for remember
case Of a fellow who went out with
three kegs, and instead Of placing them
side by side and letting one shot do the
business, guess he was anxious to
see them blow up one at at a time.
for he placed the first keg and left the
other two on the wagon.
HE fired his gun and the bullet did
exploded with such terrific force that
the man was Mortified when the con-
cussion caused the two remaining kegs
on his wagon to follow suit Immediate
~, killing his horses, wrecking the
wagon completely, while he himself
received a splinter in his face that
ruined the sight Of one eye. After that
If he ever went out. I am sure that he
was more careful.
II have known Of a fellow who lost
his foot by the explosion of drop of
the terrible stuff, and another man who
lost his hand by hitting g. board on
which a can Of nitro had rested and
drop or two Of the liquid oozed out.
1t is mighty bad stuff, and am afraid
of it, and If live to be 200. will be
more afraid of it than ver."-Boston
Globe.
A FAMOUS HYMN.-The hymn, Near