Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-07-16
A Nitro-GIycerine Explosion.

DAVID DEYo and his wife are employed
on the New York 81 Canada Railroad.
| He employs several men, all OF whom
| live ON the boat where the explosion oc-
| Cured, opposite Patterson's Landing, at
| Putnam Last Tuesday Deyo picked up
| an old TN can, which he took aboard the
| boat. He had succeeded in tearing the
same open. and he intended to use it as
| a collar for a stove pipe hole. He called
his wife to assist him to hold it down with
both hands while he, with long iron
chisel, proceeded to cut hole In 1t.
Deyo noticed that the can appeared to
be greasy, but gave it little thought. lie
had struck several blows when fearful
explosion occurred The greasy sub
stance on the tin proved to be nitro
glycerine Mrs. Deyo was blown into
the lake, while Deyo himself was blown
toward the stern of the boat. Three
Young men, H. Purple, Font Tyrell and
Wickes, were inside the shanty, 9and
pieces of tin went whizzing by them,
having been blown through the board
partition.
Assistance was Immediately rendered
to Mrs. Deye. Her clothing was com
pletely blown from her body. She
presented horrible sight. The flesh
covering the abdomen was cut open from
point just above the groin to the lett
hip bone On both arms the flesh was
literally dug out on the under side, dis
closing the cords and bones. The hands
were shockingly mutilated.
When the woman was taken aboard the
boat she tainted. She lay in that uncon-
scious state for over two hours. Deyo
was found to be badly wounded. The
fatal explosive dug its way into the
fieshy thigh of the right leg. The pow
erful sinews and cords were laid bare.
The explosive seemed to tear beneath
the flesh. Deyo's arms were cut on the
under side, similar to Mrs. Deyo's. 1t is
evident that the tin was blown into small
pieces, as Deyo's face, lips and forehead
seemed to be cut in pieces. The wounds
look as if they had been done by small
pieces of metal.
While the woman's wounds were being
dressed she came to her senses. She
asked: "What is the matter?" She was
told that the can contained nitro glyce-
rine, and had exploded. She Immediately
replied that she remembered holding
piece of tin for David TO cut, but she had
no remembrance of its exploding. The
next day after the occurrence it was
thought advisable to bring the boat to
Whitehall.
The sufferings of both are intense, al
though they are kept under the influence
of morphine. Great fears are enter
tanned that modification may set in and
prove fatal to Mrs. Deyo. Mr.. Deyo will
no doubt recover, as his injuries are
flesh wounds. The powerful effects of
the explosion are shown on the cabin of
the boat where the tin Law when il eX-
ploded. A hole about six inches in diam
eter was made in the roof, which is three
inches in thickness exactly. The board
partition of the shanty is scattered and
riddled at the point where the explosion
occurred. The chisel that Deyo was cut
ting WITH which is long one-half inch
wide strip of STEEL was found some dis
lance from the boat on shore. The ex-
plosion was heard mile away The
sound was like that of blast. There
was but little of the material in the can,
which shows the power of the dangerous
explosive Whitehall IN. ~ Times