The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-31

powder Ia A. +. Raymond well al
Franklin. The tin case holding the
powder collapsed under press e Ul
tho water and the fuse went out.
/ william Reed assisted Raymond and
+ w. Ayers Bleashear, who had sN'
pected James Barry TO fire tho
charge with electricity Reed de-
vcloped the idea ana 3 ,eltcd the
Reed torpedo, which he used in a
number Of wells.
"A large crowd In 1858 witnesscd d
tho tOrpcdo,ng Of John c. FORD =
well on the widow Fleming farm
four m les south Of TitusyiI-. five
pounds OF powder in an ea-then bot
tie, attached 10 a string OF gas pipe,
we're exploded at ESQ feet by drop
pilg "A red hot iron through the
pipe. The shock threw the water
out OF the hole threw out the pipe
/ with such force as TO knock ,he
/ walking beam and samson post
/ down, agltsted the water in OIL
/ creek, and threw out oil.
Tubing was put in. The old horse
worked the pump until Tired, and
the result encouraged Ford 90 buy
machinery to keep the well going
I constantly
This yyas the first successful tor
pedoing Ot m oil well
Frederick Crocker Ia 1864 ar
ranged q torpedo TO be dropped Into
well and fired by q p.s,o. cartridge
inserted I'm the bottom OK the TIN
shell. About thirty torpedoes We're
exploded from 1860 to 1865. all OF
them in wells filled with water,
which served as tamp.ng.
William Rccd made can stro. K
~ .
water. let It dowl the Gr.swell well
on Cherry Run in 1858, failed TO dis
charge It by electricity and exploded
Il by sliding a hollow weight down
string to strike a percussion cap.
Notwithstanding these facts,
which demonstrated that the field OF
oil aud water had been increased By
exploding powder hu u1drcds of feet
under water. in November OF 1864
Col T.. A. l.. Roberts applied for a
patent for a process Of Increasing
the productiveness OF oil wells by
causing an explosion Of guhpowder
or its equivalent at or near the oil
bearing point, IN connection with
superincumbent fluid tamping'
Captain Mills permitted him to
test his process an the ladies well
near Titusville. on January 2l Two
torpedoes were exploded and the
we'll flowed oil and paraftine. VIII
liam Reed and several others filed
applications for pate lJS and com
menced proceedings for interfer-
enCe. The suits dragged out for two
years, were decided in favor Of
Roberts and he secured the patent
that was to become a grieyous
monopoly.
"A company was organized in New
York to construct torpedoes and car
ry on the business extensively.
Operators were rather skeptlcal as
to the advantage OF the Roberts
method. fearing the missiles would
shatter the rock and destroy the
wells. The Woodin well, a dry hole
on the Blood farm, received two in
jections and pumped so barrels
day in December Of 1865. During
1857 the demand increased largely
and many suits for Infringement
were entered.
"Roberts seemed to have the courts
on his side and he obtained injunC-
tions against the Reed Torpedo com
pany and James Dickey Tor alleged
infringements. Justices Stro lg ana
McKennan decided against Dickey in
1871. Producers subscribed $4,000 |
to break down the Roberts patent |
ami confidently expected a favorable |
Issue. Judge Grier of philadelphia |
mulcted the Reed company in heavy !
damages.
Roberts substituted n'trogtycerini |
for gunpowder and established a !
mandatory Of the explosive near
Titusville.
The torpedo war became general, |
determined and uncompromising |
The monopoly charged exorbitant
4.s4 -. II
and an army Of 'mooniighters'-
nervy men who put II torpedoes at !
into existence, These |
effected great inn
provements and first used the GO
devil drop weight in the Butler field |
in 1875. The Roberts crowd hired |
a legion OF spies TO report operators |
who patronized the nocturnal well |
shooters. The country swarmed with |
these emissarles You couldn't spit |
in the streets or near a we'll after |
dark without danger of hitting one !
OF the crew.
"Unexampled litigation followed. |
About two thousand prosecutions |
were threatened and most OF them |
against producers accused of violat- !
ing the law by engaging moon /
lighters Most of the Individual |
suits were settled. the annoyance of (
trying them in Pittsburgh. fees of
lawyers and enormous costs inducing
the operators 70 make such terms
as they could. BY this means the