The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-12
AN EXPLOSION IN CAMP.
What Happened at the Camp Of Party Of
Hunters on the Meredosha,

Not many days ago the Warner Fishing
and Hunting Club started out in all the
pride, pomp and circumstance of great
achievements, to gather fish and ducks
from the Doshie. They shipped their
camp equippage via the Western
Union railroad to Cordova. They took
along their Little Coe Fishing Schoon-
err from which to angle for the fnny tribe
and with which to gather in the ducks as
they were shot The took along a magnih-
cient wall tent with fly, capable of &C
commodating twenty persons; their camp
chest, well filled with dishes, knives, forks,
spoons, ETC., etc.; also their camp cooking
stove, pipe, pots, kettles and sauce pans
also full supply of stores, bread, meat,
butter, eggs, lard, and other good things.
Numerous blankets, oyer-coats, water
proof boots guns, ammunition, fishing
tackle, and sundry demijohns of exhilar
ating fluid, boxes of cigars, tobacco, sew
eral good duck dogs, and the paraphernal-
ia necessary in camp life, for few weeks
not forgetting clean shirts, collars, ETC.,
tc dress up with when visitors called. At
COrdova they procured teams and moved
out to the Doshie, some or miles, and
pitched their tents on fame eternal camp
ing ground, or thereabouts, not far from
Hickory Island.
Everything seems to have gone on
lovely for some days. Their friends 10
town looked anxiously for each brace of
fat teal or mallard, and fish enough for
breakfast, but none arrived At last one
or two of the party returned and it was
learned from them that only one duck had
been shot and no fish caught Provisions
began to grow scarce A messenger was
dispatched to Cordova and ham was pur-
chased. The ham was placed under the
table, in the tent, and was soon devoured
by the dogs There was some swearing
done then. Grown desperate with hunger,
and the whisky jugs being low, they
were driven to the dire necessity of getting
some duck or fish or going hungry. They
had to get 'em-they were out of meat.
They started out, determined to conquer,
or die in the Doshie Bill Blanford, OF
the Rock Island House saloon, was left in
charge of the camp Uncle John Warner,
Buck Hamilton, Jack Atkinson, and
George LortOn shouldered their fish poles,
tucked their muskets under their arms,
called their dogs and started for the fray
Atkinson soon returned with black birds
bought from boy and placed them or
the table for Blanford to convert into a
game pie-and then he lit out" for more
plumber
In an evil moment, Blanford deserted
his post and took a short walk, just tC
stretch his legs, you know. During hi,
absence some fire in the stove dropped out
communicated with the straw and soon the
camp was in blaze. The hunters hur
ried in, but no one dared go near for un
derneath the table was some Is or q
pounds of powder. On the table was pilet
their dishes, glasses, a good deal o
provender, and Jack black birds
In few minutes there wa
an explosion--and you just ought to hea
those people describe the scene The al
was filled with half burned tables, CAM
chests, blankets, potatoes, black birds
chunks of bread potatoes, knives AM
forks, spoons, overcOats, pots and kettles
rubber boots tobacco guilds, odd sogers,
tent poles, bits of burning canvass, vol
robes, ETC., andsoforth Blanford say
the remains of these things darkened tn
air and then rained down for the space c
several minutes. lie distinctly remember
of finding parts of his new 500 overcOat
and Uncle John found some pieces of fu
which he is sure were once in his wolf robe
We drop our pencil in despair-we car
: not do justice to the subject. The amour
, of ''cuss words which few around fror
! mouth to mouth, for few minutes, woul
, have supplied all our army in Flanders
They folded their tent poles and stove an
stole silently away.
We took an invoice of the returned pre-
perty, at the Merchants Lunch, last eve
ming, viz 4: Two tent poles, badly scorched
one sheet-iron stove and pipe, and-tw
empty jugs That's all there was left.
Blanford says he could bear the loss {
. his overcoat, blankets, etc, we'll enough
but when he saw two gallons..of good whi
Ky flying in the air it made him mad
For further details inquire of any one
the marty