The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-07-24
HORRIBLE CASUALTIES

HORRIBLE CASUALTIES
Resulting FrOm the Use of Nffro-GIy
ccrlne-F0rty-EIght Deaths i'm Seven
teen Years-CurIOus Freaks and Ltstli.
crous scenes Caused by the Explosives.
A few days ago the report came that
three tramps up near Warren had
ossayed making coffee in bright can
they had found. The attempt resulted
in an explosion which mutilated one of
the trio very badly and injured the
other two. The one worst hurt was re-
moved to the poorhouse, where he has
since died. The can used was simply
one which had contained nitro-glycer-
inc, and which, by the negligence of
some torpedo agent, had been left
lying around loose. This little incident
recalls long list of glycerine casual
ties, which form part of Oildorn' s
history.
The first glycerine horror in the oil
regions occurred in the latter part of
the summer of 1867, when William
Munson, manufactures of the stuff,
was blown up at his factory near Reno.
The cause of the explosion will never
be k nown. Munson had gone to the
magazine about an hour before the ex-
ploslon occurred, which was plainly
heard in both Oil City and Franklin.
lie was reduced to small fragments.
which were gathered up by an excited
crowd. Early in the summer of 1868,
Patrick Brophy, the second victim, met
his fate at Colonel E. A. l.. Roberts
Titusville magazine. Brophy was in
Roberts employ, making shells and the
like, ard had no particular business at
the magazine, but it was learned after
the explosion that he had been of an
lnquisitive and inventive turn of mind,
and was frequent visitor to the maya
zine. There was a large amount of the
explosive compound at the factory and
the explosion was terrific. Windows all
over 1itusVille were shattered, an ex-
cavation made in the ground where the
magazine had stood large enough to
put good-sized house in, and the deto-
nation was heard at points thirty miles
distant. That was the first rude awak-
ening OF the oil country people to the
real nature of the powerful agent so
freely used by them.
About six weeks after Brophy's mis-
hap, Colonel Davidson and two en-
ployes were blown up at Davidson 5
factory, and all the horrors of the pre-
eeding casualty were repeated three
fold. The sickening details of human
beings being torn to shreds were told
again. The next victim of the com
pound was DR.. Fowler, who had a
factory near Franklin. He went to the
factory one morning. and a deafening
report shortly afterward was the signal
OF his annihilation. This was in 1869.
In 1870 one of the most remarkable
glycerine accidents occurred, as the next
1nstancein chronological order. r. Red
held, torpedo agent at Scrubgrass, now
kennerdell Station, on the ALLEGHENY
Valley Railroad, left a can hidden in
the bushes by the river bank. George
Fetterman owned several wells in the
vici-ity. and his wife one day found
hedneid's glyeerine. Owing to the re-
semblance of the dangerous compound
to lard oil, Mrs. Fetterman mistook it
for the latter, and turned the can over
70 her husband to use the contents in
lubricating his machinery Fetterman
oiled his machinery regularly with the
stuff for a fortnight or more, until one
day he had several men assisting him
N pulling out q well, they working
10 the derrick while he run the engine,
being in the days antecedent to the
derrick telegraph and reverse
cord" The engine was run at a high
rate OF speed, sufficient to heat the run
mng gear, so that when Fetterman
sqairted some of the compound on q
heated journal from common oiler, an
explosion followed that blew off his
arm, crushed his head and mutilated
als body horribly.
8, ln August, 1871, Charles Clark was
pnlown up while driving on the road near
Ehterprlse. He was the first victim of
me stuH while in transit, and his death
aroused people to a sense of q new
aanger, that of having the stuff hauled
pass their homes. Not only was Clark
ploWn to atoms, but his horse and buck
spoaru pu were reduced to fragments. 1872
otought ont four explosions and added
=, new method to the list. William
thompson was the first, being blown to
pieces while driving from bully Hill.
s.,, waere he had been torpedoing some
;ssls, 70 franklin, with two torpedoes
a.. = ms 5. buggy. Shortly afterward Will
a;al ,an rine was blown up while driving
stu s,.a load of glycerine between Shaw
ss.a .a.n ana Housewife. The explosion
;ss ;ssstaeted crowd of bumpers from adj
saeent wells, and one of the first on the
ms;s esae % gather up the fragmentary re-
raas s,asus was James Barnum, who later
re. re- similar fate. Later, the same
rs iSass B. Charles Palmer went with Can't.
y nest one Of Roberts SCENTS, 10 q