Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1902 — Oil Well Shot at Water Valley. [ARTICLE]

Oil Well Shot at Water Valley.

The deep boring for oil at Water Valley, right on the north bank of the Kankakee river, and by the side of the Monon’s right of way, did not strike any oil. As the last resort it was ‘'shot” Monday in the usual method. A large quantity of nitro glycerine was lowered to the bottom in long tin cans and when enough is down it is exploded by dropping down the well a heavy pointed piece of iron called the “go devil.” The shooting Monday did not result in developing any oil.. It did throw a big column of water as high as the top of the derrick, or higher, but they had water enough around there already and a whole lot to spare. The shooting wps observed by a number of Rensselaer people, but it was no great thing as a spectacle. Even the noise is only a distant rumbling. The well shooter from the Gillam field furnished the nitro and attended to the shooting.