Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-30

structive cross-country affair" Gallagher
was fond of Olean and wanted 1t to remain
On the map. One day as he stood In the
factory door he saw shooter named Lew
Hart driving nitro-glycerine wagon along
the road that led to the ravine.
The road dipped Into gully just before
II reached one of the high banks. The
shooters wagon disappeared from view into
the gully, and second later Gallagher
heard an explosion; his employees body was
hurled two hundred feet from the road.
How 1t happened no one knew--no one ever
will know. A great hole In the road mark
ed the scene of the explosion, and wagon
spoke had been driven through fence
board as though the board had been putty.
Lived to Tell the Tale.
Gallagher often remarked that he knew
Of but one man, Howard Tackett of Brad
ford, Pa, who had actually been through
a nitro-glycerine explosion and lived to tell
the tale. Tackett and companion were
driving along road in the Titusviile oil
field, and had several quarts OF nitro glyc-
crime wrapped up in a buffalo robe that lay
in the bottom of their sleigh. As they We're
passing pool of water their sleigh was
overturned and Tackett disappeared De-
meath the surface OF the water as the ca
tastrophe occurred. The water detected the
force Of the explosion and saved Jackets
life but his companion was blown to atoms.
Picturesque rank Fires.
For many years clean, which is near both
the Bradford and Allegany oil fields. was
the largest storage place for crude petro-
leum in the world, and even now its city
of tanks is an interesting spectacle. These
tanks are of iron, and have a capacity of
thirty-five thousand barrels each. Light
ming is as partial to these tanks as death
Is to a shining mark and when one Is
struck a dense pillar of black smoke rises
thousands of feet into the air and drifts
away majesucally for miles. Well trained
employees of the Standard Oil Company
hurry to the scene dig trenches and erect
entertainments for the protection of neigh
boring tanks and do all in their power to
render the dreaded but spectacular over
flow as harmless as possible. cannon
that dates back to the days of 81 is drawn
to the spot and solid shot are fired through
the lower rims of the burning tank
Through the apertures thus formed some
of the oil escapes and is consumed with
out imperiling the other great receptacles
After the tank has been burning about
twelve hours 1t suddenly hurls huge shaft
of fire half a mile high, torrents of fam
ing oil surge over the sides and roll along
the ground toward nearby tanks. and every
one In the vicinity runs for life. This is
the critical moment. II the entertainments
and trenches check the stream of flame the
danger Is past. If not, several other tanks
may explode. At Olean some years ago
three of them were burning at the same
time. When the cannon was first used In
the "city of tanks at Olean the amateur
gunners failed to again sight 1t after 1t had
fired its initial shot. The gun recoiled, the
muzzie was elevated and the second ball
upper rim. passed through house maim-
ing woman for life and struck another
tank half mile distant, allowing about ten
thousand barrels of oil to escape.