Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-09-27
LATER DETAILS
Of the Premature Explosions at
Castle William.
The Sells Circus Smash-Up-RaiIroad Ac-
cident-8urned to enthusiastically
ShOt-Track Walkers Kill
ed-0rowned.
SMALL CASUALTIES OF MANY KINDS.

NEW HoRK, Septembr 26.-The following
particulars of the disaster at Governors s
Island were made public to-day: The guns
used were twenty S2.pound smoothbores.
They were ranged in ten casemats in the
second tier OF Castle Williams. In salut-
ing the frigste these twenty guns were dis
charged in quick succession, beginning with
No. l. Orders were then given by the
Lieutenant in command to reload Nos. l, 2
and 3immediately, as one gun at least in
addition to the twenty would be required,
and as there might be q failure of one or
more of the charges 10 explode. These
three guns looked through embrlsures to
the north, and directly in the face of the
the strong wind. Detailed to each gun
were four cannoneerss one gunner and qua
chief OF department, who had the rank OF
Sergeant. Gun No. I, in accordance with
orders, had been run back on its chassis inn
nledistely after the first shot of the salute
had been fired from il, and the men pro-
cdeded TO
SWab and Reload It.
Priyates Whelan and Chenis stood at the
muzzle on either side, and used the swab
and the ramrod. Corporal Irwin, the gun
ner, thumbed the vent, and Sergeant Dun
the swabbing was done flannel cartridge
bag containing eight pounds of coarse NOR
tar powder was hoiSted to the bore, and
Whelan and Chenis proceeded to ram it
home. They had not forced it more than
half way down into the gun when the dis
charge occurred. Whelan's right arm and
the left arm of CheniS
Were Torn Away,
and the thumb-stall of the gunner, thick,
padded finger of buckskin, which he held
pressed over the vent. was burned to a crisp.
The men employed in ramming the gun
fell to the floor, the shock rendering them
instantly unconscious. Their clothing and
flesh were blackened and burned, and the
floor vas stained with blood from their
wounds.
Scarcely had their fellows of the detach-
ment sprung to the assistance of the wound
ed men when gun No. 3, in the adjoining
easement, was discharged in
Precisely the same Way.
At this gun Priyates Malli and Sidner, of
Battery II, were ramming the cartridge.
Corporal Grace was the gunner at the vent,
and First Sergeant Heller was chief of de-
tsChment. In both cases the arms of the
CapOneers wno were ramming the guns
were blown in shred through the embras-
ureS, together with the ramrods, and the
thumbs of the gunnerS were severely
burned by the fire which spurted through
the vents.
The four injured cannoneers were all un-
conscious. Private Mslli
Died within Ten Minutes
after hisiniuries were received. He must
have been we'll in front of the gun at the
time Of the discharge, and had firm hold
on the ramrOd. Nearly the whole of his
right arm was carried away; his jaw, his
collar bone and the first bone of the ster-
mum were fractured, and ten of his ribs
were torn from their cartilages. Private
Whelan died at twenty minutes after four.
His right lower arm was blown off. When
taken up he was bleeding at both ears. He
was deliriOus until a short time before his
death. Private Sidner is
Net Expected TO Live.
He lost his left hand, and the bone Of his
L # arm is bad fractured. 1t is probable,
also, that he has received internal injuries.
This evening he had not recovered suth-
ciently TO warrant the surgeons in admin
istering chlorOform and submitting him
10 an operation. Private Clunis had his
left forearm and hand badly shattered, and
his left leg was burned. His arm was am
putated half an inch above the elbow at
noon. He is likely 10 recover. Both
thumbs Of Corporal Irwin and one thumb
OF Corporal Grace were severely burned.