The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-06-26

ford. May 81, James Moore tried to
open a can with knife at Parker and
was badly shattered. He died next
day. September z, Charles Rust went
to torpedo q well at Sawyer City. He
filled one shell and tried to put the cap
on without success. Picking up ham
mer, he struck it twice. His head and
limbs were blown off James Thrasher,
a tool dresser on the well. was killed in
stantly. "Big Charley" Grouse, amoont
lighter present as a sightseer, was killed
instantly. William Bunting, owner of
adjacent wells, lived eighteen minutes,
though unable to speak. He lay on the
ground with one hand upraised TO
heaven and look of mute appeal upon
his face. Fred Slattery, aged twelve,
and Melvine Hastings, aged fourteen,
had stopped on their way to school and
both were badly injured, Slatterly dying
later Ed Wilson and George Sloan
were badly injured. October 13,
Roberts magazine, on Hatfield farm,
near Bradford, was blown up. Two
men had been seen going toward it but
a moment before the explosion and it is
supposed they were killed. December
5, Roberts magazine at Kinzua juno
ton, containing 1890 pounds of glycer-
inc, exploded from spontaneous COM
bustion. Two employees had gone to
the magazine for glycerine in the
morning. They saw sulphurous smoke
issuing from the two top cans and re-
tired. Soon after they returned and
took eighty pounds of the stuff and
put it in their wagon. After driving
four hundred feet they became
frightened, unhitched their horses and
made off to a safe distance, where they
watched developments through the
open door of the magazine. The smoke
gradually increased until at 11:30 the
explosion occurred: The eighty pounds
in the wagon remained intact.
The cause of the explosion was
said to have been imperfect
washing of the compound, the surplus
acid acting on and eating the tin coat
ing of the cans. December q, John
McCleery was filling a shell at well
of John L. McKinney's, on Meek's
Creek, when the well began to flow and
McCleery started to run. The she'll
struck the derrick and exploded, knock
inc McCleery down. Just as he was in
the act of rising the cans in the derrick
exploded and he was thrown one hun
dred feet, but jumped up and ran on
until he fell from fatigue and fright.
His coat-tails were cut off as clean and
smoothly as if done with shears and
his back was filled with pieces of tin
and splinters, but he was not otherwise
injured.
January IS, 1882, Charles E. Ber-
ridge torpedoed we'll in the Allegheny
field, and having two quarts of glycer-
inc left, started to carry it back to the
magazine, near Bolivar. When within
twenty-five feet of the magazine it is
supposed he slipped and fell. His body
was torn to shreds and hole was blown
in the frozen ground two and half feet
deep and five feet in diameter. The
magazine, containing four hundred
pounds, did not explode, though several
boards were torn from the building by
the conclusion. February % another
explosion occurred at the same maya
zine, killing John Graut. shooter, and
Chester Orcutt, aged twenty. How the
accident occurred cannot be told. The
pieces of the two unfortunate victims
were gathered up as far as possible by
the aid of lanterns and placed on the
log which had done similar service for
Berridge's remains.
tits a remarkable fact that no nitro
glycerine explosions have occurred in
the oil regions for over two years,
though more than double the amount
has been used during the past two years
than in any similar period before. In
Warren and Forest, Mexican and Allie
gany, shots have been large and fire.
quent, but without casualty. though the
roads in Cherry Grove, Cooper and
Bulltown are the worst imaginable: |,
of course, do not include in this list the
recent explosion at - The" Torpedo
Companys factory in Maryland, which
is out of the region.-Ou city (Pa.) Cor.
CIereldnI Herald.