The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-07-02
A Nitro-6lycerine Explosion.

DAVID UEYO and MS vile are employed
on the New York & 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 tin can, which he took aboard the
boat He had succeeded in tearing the
same open, and he intended to use it as
collar for stove-pipe hole. He called
his wife to assist him to hold it down with
both hands while he, with q long iron
chisel, proceeded 70 cut q hole in It.
Deyo noticed that the can appeared to
be greasy, but gave 1t little thought He
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, and
pieces of tin went whizzing by them
having been blown through the board
partition.
Assistance was Immediately rendered
to Mrs. Deyo. Her clothing was com
pletely blown from her body. She
presented q horrible sight. The flesh
covering the abdomen was cut open from
a point just above the groin to the left
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 70 be badly wounded. The
fatal explosive dug its way into the
fleshy 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 we're cut on the
under side, similar to Mrs. Deyo's. 1t i.
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. Sht
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. Tn,
next day after the occurrence it wa
thought advisable to bring the boat t
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 ant
prove fatal to Mrs. Deyo. Mr.. Deyo viii
no doubt recover, as his injuries ar
flesh wounds. The powerful effects o
the explosion are shown ON the cabin o
the boat where the tin lay when it ex
ploded. A hole about six inches in diam
eter was made in the roof, which is thre
inches in thickness exactly The boar
partition Of the shanty Is scattered an
riddled At the point where the explosio
occurred. The chisel that Deyo was cut
ting with, which is long one-half inc
wide strip of steel, was found some di.
lance from the boat on shore. The e.
plosion was heard . mile away. Tn
sound was like that Of . blast. Their
was but little Of the material in the Cal
which shows the power Of the dangeror
explosive. - WAitehaN IN. ~ Times.