The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-09-15
Horrible Accident.


tressing and disastrous accidents re-
corded In oil region annals occurred on
the above date. Between eight and
nine o'clock an explosion of glycerine
took place at we'll by the roadside
Immediately west of Sawyer City.
Four men we're instantly hurled into
eternity and fifth is perhaps gone
ere this together with q couple of
small boys. The killed IRE William
Bunton, of Bradford, JAMES Thrashier,
of Sawyer City, Charley Crows, for
merly Of Butler, Pennsylvania, and
Charley Rust, agent of the Roberts
torpedo company of Bradford. The
injured were Ed. Wilson, united
! gauger, and Geo. Sloan and boy of
Slattery's. 1t appears the latter was
invited to treat the well named, which
is owned by Mrs. Jane Schoonover,
on her place. to eighteen quarts Of
glycerine. AS the we'll was near the
village and close to the roadside, a
large number of people were naturally
attracted to the scene The shell had
been hung in the casing and two
quarts of the explosive poured in, the
remainder being in the cans on the
derrick floor. After pouring in the
two quarts, Rust set the can down and
undertook to fit the cap to the she'll
It worked little tight and he gave it
a couple of blows with his hand in
order TO force it to position. The
second blow caused the explosion
with the sad results named. Rust's
| body was blown fully 100 feet from
the scene and his skull was so COM
pletely shattered that the brains lay
outside in small bunches. His body
was otherwise badly mangled yet not
so seriously as to prevent recognition.
Chas. Thrashier was an employee of
the estate and lived with family of
| four wife and three children-on the
west side of the road in small house
seen Just before entering Sawyer as
you go from Tarport. He was also
| terribly man led about the head and
| chest.
Mr.. William Bunton, who was SIM
I ply spectator, having been on his way
| to his wells above Sawyer and halted
to witness the shooting, was badly cut
| about the head and must have been
sufficiently close to have been killed
| instantaneously. His body otherwise
! than the cuts in the head was not in
jured. Grouse was terribly lacerated
| about the head, chest and arms. He
was engaged it is said OH the well as
one of the hands.
The derrick was literally shattered
to pieces and the floor and heavy sills
were torn from their resting place and
piled in heaps around. The highway
was nearly blocked with the frag-
ments, and the whole gave evidence
of the terrible power of nitro glycer-
inc when set in motion. 1t was
indeed fortunate that the quantity
used was not the usual size for this
section-siXty quarts Had this been
go many more deaths would prob
ably have been recorded. AS it is the
matter is very serious and suggests the
foolishness of disinterested or inter
ested parties gathering near while
the detestible stuff is beng handled.
DR.. Dorm of this city passed the well Il
few rods when the explosion occurred,
and of course was the first physician
on the ground. / was with great
difficulty he could persuade his team ia
stand still, it was so thoroughly
frightened, but he succeeded and re-
turned to aid in removing the bodies
from the wreck. He describes the
scene as sickening in the extreme.
The dead bodies of four men who a
few minutes previous were in the ell
jovment of health and vigor, were
now lying neSriy covered among
piece of timber, shattered lumber and
earth mixed with oil. The three were
removed to a vacant house in the vii.
lage and that OF Thrashier to the
home of his family, where they were
properly covered to await the action OF
the Coroner jury. Drs. Benninghoi
and Wallace, of TarpOrt, and Matti
at the scene in half an hour after
wards and attended to the sufftring-
of those who had been injured but
were still living. Mr.. Ed. Wilson
was seriously cut in the thighs anC
was also badly injured elsewhere He
was also IA spectator. His wound,
were dressed and some hopes are en-
tertained of his recovery. The boy
Nive Hastings. it is said, can hardly y
live. Aside from other effects of the
shock he had an arm and leg broken
and is at his home in Sawyer. A little
boy of Mr.. Skaters had his stomach
torn open and received other severe
injuries and will probably die. George
Sloan was hit on the head with plank
and though seriously hurt, his IN
juries will hardly prnve fatal. A mum
Der of Others minor effects are reported
but none of dangerous stripe. Char.
les Raney had the seat of his pants re
moved while making tracks for liit
and liberty, The whole town felt the
shock. Some windows were broker
and the people were generally thor
oughly frightened. II is Il remarkable
circumstance that so few Were injured
One aged gentleman who was passing
with team halted to witness til,
process of filling the shell Discover.
ing the man Rust tampering with tht
shell he put the whips to his an
imals and got just far enough away
to escape injury further than the
general fright and an upset on thu
end board of his wagon.
100 sacks choice dairy salt. only &c sacl
at Morgester's,
50 barrel choice lake SALT only $500 bar