Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-23
KILLED IN THE TUNNEL.
Ffightful Accident Half Mile from
Daylight.

ONE NAN KILLED AND SEVERAL INJURED BY
THE PREMATURE DISCHARGE OF A DYNA.
MITE BLAsT-DRrAILs OF THE ACCIDENT.
An accident occurred in the new aoueduct
tunnel this morning by which one man was
killed outright, another was probably fatally
injured, and several others received injuries
not of q very serious character. The accident
was due to the premature explosion of blast
ing cartridges which had been placed in the
rock at the east heading Of the Foundry branch
shaft. The time OF the accident as near as can
be fixed was O'Clock. There were ten
men at work in the heading at the time,
including the machine runners, miners,
"muckers" or men who run the cars, and
had been made as usual on each side of
the tunnel running to depth of several feet in
the the rock: The work Of placing the cartridges in
ana the men engaged on that side were waiting
for the work on the other side to be finished.
~ Then the whole party would have
and the blast would have been fired by elec-
trfcity. Four cartridges had been placed in the
hole on the south side and James Mcdonald,
one OF the miners, was engaged in tamping
down the cartridges, customary, with q
stick. Suddenly there was
A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
The lights in the tunnel were put out. AS soon
as lights were struck it was found that Melon
aid had been dreadfully mangled and was
dead. James Cook, the foremen, had an arm
injured. Joseph Nicholson, a laborer, had his
right leg crushed and was terribly shocked.
James Reedy had his right arm cut Andrew
Handy was scratched by flying spalls and mis-
lelt arm was severely bruised. John Vincent
both injured by flying rocks All the men in
the heading were stunned by the explosion.
Those who were little injured. as soon as they
had procured lights took out the wounded men
ana put them on cars. The heading is 2,455
feet east of the shaft. The wounded men were
conveyed on the cars to the shaft and then
nO1Ste0 the elevator N oil fact
above. The shaft is located on the new cut
T road back Of the Georgetown college grounds.
brought out and placed for time in one of
the buildings at the mouth of the shaft. To the
summons for surgical aid Drs. Bowie Tyler and
Suter responded and gave such attention as
was Immediately necessary to the wounded
men. The colored men who were injured
were taken to their homes near the mouth of
the shaft. Nicholson was taken in police am.
bulance to his home, on NJ street, near S5th
West Washington, and Foreman Cook was
the contractors with whom he lives. Wylie
Johnson, one of the colored men who was hurt
was struck in the pit of the stomach by piece
Q! rock and rendered helpless for the time.
McDonalds body was taken to Wise's under
taking establishment. Mcdonald was about
from Little Falls, New YORK. Nicholson is con-
sidered to be in a critical condition. The ply
sicians fear fatal results in his case from the
shock.
THE STORY OF ONE OF THE MINERS.
Andrew Handy, one of the miners in the tun-
mel at the time Of the explosion told the follow
Ing story in reply to questions by q STAR re-
porter:
II had finished loading my side-I was on the
north side-and was waiting for Mcdonald to
get through on the other side. Mcdonald was
putting In and tamping the cartridges. We
use as many cartridges as we think necessary
to blow out the rock. In this case they would
had already put in three or four. Suddenly
there was terrible report. was stunned and
Knocked down: The lights were blown out,
my sensations? could not describe to you or
write them. could hear the shouts and means
VI the Msa,Sho We're hurt; happened to have
some matches in my pocket, and as soon as
recovered my senseSI made q light and looked
after the wounded men.
.Mr; Cook, the foreman, was standing on one
side Of Mcdonald when the explosion occurred,
and Jack BOrsan, miner, was standing at his
other side. Through miracle, Borgan was not
injured r at all; He ala not get scratch. The
little pieces about the collar Of the hole, OF
course, were blown out. These cartridges, when
the barrel of q gun. Mcdonald was Standing
right IN front of the charge"
Mr.. Quackenbush, of the firm of Quacken-
push q Beckwith, the contractors who are max
ing the tunnel, was at the scene of the accident
early, and inquired into all the particulars. To
a STAR reporter he said that the accident was
unaccountable, as the men were experienced
usual.
WHAT THE INSPECTOR SAID.
Inspector Woodward said to STAR reporter
that he could account for the accident only on
the ground that the "exploder' in one of the
cartridges was too near the outside of the cart
ridge and had been struck by a piece of rock
The cartridges used are dynamite cartridges
about inches long. An exploder is placed IN
each cartridge and the wire that enters the
cartridge connects with the exploder. The cart
ridges are all connected with one another with
wire and a circuit Is made. When ready to fire
charge, the men withdraw to a distance of 500
feet and the cartridges are exploded by
electricity. Even at a distance OF 500 feet
the conclusion from the explosion is stunning.
The men engaged, he said, were experienced
miners. accustomed to handle such cartridges.
sometimes they had to open cartridge when
the exploder was defective, and take out the
exploder, but they knew how to handle the
cartridges SO well that no accident had ever
occurred. If the exploder were exposed, it
would not necessarily be discharged. "This
would not occur one time out of q thousand"
said Mr.: Woodward, land this Is the thous-
andth time suppose"
The coroner will hold an inquest over the re-
mains OF Mcdonald at IL o'clock tomorrow.
A CHARGE Of G,Pi U.1RNol