The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-12-03

JOm 20 take long iron bar, Wedge
it securely between the uprights OF
the derrick, about four or Ave feet
above the mouth of the well, and low.
er the cartridge over the bar at the
end of rope. In this case, l re.
member, the bar was firmly fixed in
its place. In fact, always saw to
that, even If it took sledge-hammef
to make it fast, for am cautious
man, and had no wish to have the
bar slip, and thus suddenly precipl
tate the explosion.
"Well, threw the rope over the
bar, tied the tube to the end of it,
and began-very gingerly-to lower
| away. You may be sure that the
rope slipped through my hands very
slowly, for I didn't care to have the
tube come into violent contact with
the casing down which it was fall.
ing. No; my eye was on the rope
all the time, and Stacked it with
extreme care.
$50 far as I know, there was but
| one other danger to be considered,
and that was SO remote that did
not then take it into account. The
well might have an unexpected flow.
| at had been flowing at intervals
Of an hour or more for many days.
The oil would bubble up, shoot out
and subside. But the intervals had
| So far been regular enough; so, when
began to lower the cartridge, it did
| ,N% Ctx.i I1oh onfi0inoko
any accident of that character.
"Oilwells, however, are most er.
ratio. There is no accounting for
what they do. My tube was not more
than five hundred feet down when
felt the rope slacken all of sud
i, That could mean but one
thing!
my mind was quite clear: / knew
precisely what would happen. The well
had begun to flow, the oil would eject
the tube with more or less force, the
tube would fall back heavily, it
would explode, and the derrick and
everything within wide radius OF
it, myself. Hox and his child and
women-folk included, would be blown
to atoms.
| eve don't know when wen co. ]
thought, in old Billy Timm's phrase.
and bit humorously, too, think
'but when we do go. we go quick!'
There seemed to be no comfort.
ing IF in the situation. But, after
/ all, there was an if-the slimmest
sort of chance, but still chance.
The tube might not explode when It
/ fell to earth.
'aThe hope was most extravagant.
admit; but since it was the only
hope in sight. / chung to it desper
"tely. Indeed, could think of moth
ing else, until it struck me that the
iron bar over which I had thrown the
rope was almost directly over the
mouth OF the well. The explosion,
then, was perfectly arranged for;
nothing could have been better de.
signed to bring 1t about. When the
end of the tube struck the bar,
| which was far too firmly wedged to
be removed in moment, the percus'
sion-cap would be set off, and-well,
\ we'd all go quick sure enough!
THE peril was horribly sudden. It
doesn't take squirt Of oil long to
rise few hundred feet. In a feet
ing thought-how swift the machinery
of my mind must have run in those
brief moments!--I knew that the tube
would shoot out in almost NO time.
Il might have screamed warning
to Hox, but to what purpose? 1t
would have taken him some time to
do no more than get his women un
der way; 50 kept quiet. 1t may
have been paralysis OF horror
physical, mean. There was moth
ing the matter with my mind; in
deed. in the few seconds that elapsed
before the tube shot out. not only
did / have a complete understanding
Of our situation, not only did | seek
everywhere for some way OF escape,
but my memory called up all the
similar accidents had ever heard
If, and my Imagination had time
enough to present pretty vivid pic
ture OF just what was about to hap
pen in this case.
| II heard nervous laugh. Then.
E'Hcw soon will it go off?' one of the
ladies asked.
"'Are you sure we are far enough
away?' asked another.
"'How long?' and Are we far
enough away?' Not long, thought /,
and not quite far enough away
II could already hear the gurgle
and kissing of the rising Oil. A Sec
ond or so longer-just a second or
| two more! You will permit me to
say that had been a poor coward
should have covered my eyes with
my hands. and so awaited the end.
But l chance not to have been born
coward. so kept my eyes on the
mouth Of the well, with my hands