Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-01-23
HIGH EXPLOSIVES.

OF =lneSe dangerous ArtiCieS hNdii-
ably Result Fatal.
Almost every day accidents oc-
cur from the careless use ct high
explosives Very recently In the
northern part OF this State two &C.
cidents from dynamite took place
at almost the same time. and each
of them were folio we'd by death
These, however, aff ord an uncon
mon coincidence we, they are liable
to happen any moment where the
conditions are the same.
In one place dynamite was hid.
den and the picks OF the men who
were killed discovered 1t and
caused the accident unintentional
|ly. A disaster of that sort should
never occur again. There's proper
place for dynamite. and 1t Is where
1t will not be exploded by accident
or anything else.
Thawing dynamite Is a practice
as old as the use uf the explosive
1t will not respond to the cap read
lily when frozen, and 1t Is common
practice for men to thaw 1t when
ready to put In shot. Now, the
use of dynamite breeds that same
disregard for Its possible dangers
that the use of kerosene seems to
awaken In the mind OF the servant
girl No man who has had long
experience with any high explo-
sive looks upon 1t with much
fear. If he did not, he would not
be likely to keep his job, nor to be
valuable man If he kept 1t. No
man with any sensitiveness of nerve
is at ease where dangerous explo-
sives are to be handled.
The oil we'll torpedo man knows
that his stuff Is dangerous, but he Is
not afraid of 1t. 1t Is the same
with the man who uses dynamite
Gradually be begins to take libel
ties with his unstable compound,
and when it Is not watched most
carefully 1t let's 60 Dynamite. un'
der ordinary circumstances, Is not
very dangerous. That makes 1t
all the more to be feared, for under
peculiar conditions 1t Is quite GER
tain to do no harm.
| The wonder is that the accidents
from the reckless handling of dyna
mite and glycerine are not more
numerous. Especially Is this true
with re .erence to the latter explo-
sive. 1t Is an almost invaluable
article In the oil INDUSTRY and Is
used freely In all oil feds In shoot
ing wells The individuals tina
handle it do not only end4nger their
own lives, but also numerous other
innocent persons In the transporta
ZION of 1t from the factories and
magazines. 1t Is frequently boatt d
down the Ohio river, transported
IN wagons through towns and ov'I
public highways, and we read every
few days In the papers of the ex-
plosive letting 60 on the pub
lie thoroughfare while the
shooter Is en- route to some oil
field. The result most invariably |
of the explosion never leaves
enough OF the man In charge TO
Tell what caused 1t. A few years
ago 1t was hauled through this city
ny the wagon load, and In fact IS
yet transported through 1t occa-
sionally, aud our citizens should be
very thauk'ul that no accident has
happened Just think OF a two
horse wagon load of glycerine let
ting 60 ON one Of the principal
thoroug hfares. It would not only
result In the death of many people,
but would wreck, to a very great |
degree, every building In the place.
But what Is the use of attempt
Ing TO call at In this matter, for
just so long as 1t Is manufactured
there will be men to handle 1t, who |
imagine no doubt there Is no dan
ger In doing so. There Is a law
that protects innocent people from
being exposed to this deadly ex-
plosive, and the proper authorities
should see that It Is enforced.
Stepued Into Live Goals.