Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-09-07

ANOrufR IfRnintr lOnprDo ACci.
prsf-th' FRANKLIN sptriaia, of lh, % in.f
says
NJ William A. 1hampion of ihii siiy wa ih
siauily killed on Tuesday afternoon lasi by The
accidental explosion Of torpedo
On Tuesday muininf, At an early hour, Mr.
Thompson len home in q buggy, carrying with
him a torpedo 70 be exploded In a we'll on the
Foster farm, few miles below town. ne ar.
rived there in company With Mr. John Quinn.
who rode down with him, and len his torpedo. -
AT the farm he received two Ola torpeioes to fetch
to the factory above this city, and they we're the
cause Of his death. These iorpedoes had been ly-
ing at Foster some Eve or six weeks, and we're to
be returned because they had failed to explode
when tried in the wells 1t is said tha, when lefl
exposed to the weather for length Of time, these
instruments Of death are more dangerous than
when drs, filled, and that Mr.. Thompson was al.
vised to let them alone. He started with them on
his return homewari alone, Me-. Quinn coming
mp by rail, because some business here required
his attention in the afternoon. A few minutes
before the catastrophe Mr.. T. arrived at Samuel
Graham's on Bully Hill, where he got an apple
and lighted a cigar. On leaving, he said to Mr.
Graham -"Goodby Sam perhaps you'll never
see me again" The last person who saw him
alive wns Mr.. Robert Graham, who me; him aud
passed him about Eve minutes before the explo
sion
The report Of the torpedo was heard here about
four o'clock, but !, was supposed, to have been a
blast in the stone quarry at the lower end Of town
Soon however, the news Of the terrible calamity
was brought to the city, and kind friends started
at once for the remains
The accident occurred about one mile and a half
out on the Dully Hill road. The body of Mr.
Thompson was thrown about fifty feet from the
place where the torpedo exploded, and was lying
terribly mutated, a, the side Of the road the left
arm, above the elbow Observed from the body, and
missing The horse aud the fore wheels of the
buggy were found about one hundred yards away
which distance the horse hal run before he fell |
The scene around showed the terrible power Of
nitro glyeorine. The aftorpart Of the buggy was
reduced to chips, AMI large portion OF the axle /
not found One of the tires was hanging in
wv 7""4V A"N"tl ANNt hieh' ahu vht VI lht un- ]
fortunate victims boots was hanging on another .
The main charge Of the torpedo hal entered the .
left side just Rbove.th hip and death must have .
come like assh and without physical suffering
The head aud face were not much dsfgured |
showing only slight abrasions, caused doubtless
by the fall Of the body on the ground.
We do not remember a more heart-sckening /
calamity. Death is terrible at all times and under
all circumstances But here was a follow towns
man in the prime Of life who left a fond wife and
three interesting little children in the morning |
awaiting bis return, cut down before sunset, with
out a moments warning, and the mangled remains 1
Of kind husband and father following close after
the announcement Of an aflichon so terrible
Men held their brea;hs, aud could scarcely realize
or believe the terrible news. The beTeaved wife |
aud children have the heartfelt sympathy Of the
whole community. May lie who 'tempers the
wind to the shorn lamb" enable them to bear the
great trial which a loss like theirs involves.
Mr.. Thompson was we'll known to our citizens
aud generally esteemed. lie came to Venango
from Cleardell county some seventeen years ago,
and in the thirty ninth year Of his age at the
time Of his death. His funeral was attended on
wednesday by the members Of venango Lodge
/. o. o. f., and Myrtle Lodge, A. Y. NJ, Of both
Of which he was a member, and by large con-
course Of his fellow citizens. A large delegation
of Old Fellows from oil City also assisted in. the I
las, sad rites.