Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-02-09
4 HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.
HOW BENJAMIN BYWArER AM
MS FATE.

0AC a
Blown Up aud MutAated In Tunnel.
He Almost Blceds to Death Before
Being Discovered - His Antecedents
and Family-Etc.
Chas. Bywater, of Bullion, brother
Of Benjamin Bywater, the miner who
died from the effects of injuries re-
ce.ved by a powder explosion at the
West Fork No. : mine, last week, says
that the TINES was undoubtedly mis-.
informed as to the manner Of the ex-
plosion. The fatal accident did not
occur in the face of the tunnel or
crosscut, though his brother was found
there. 1t occurred at the place where
the powder was being thawed out
some 200 feet from the breast where
deceased was working. To ,haw out
the giant powder cartridges. one Of
the miners had taken small wooden
box to which tin had been nailed for
bottom. About four inches above
the bottom Of this box, on the inside,
Stats were nailed across, upon which
the cartridges were laid. A candle
fame, kept burning beneath, would
heat the tin and keep the powder in
good condition.
Charles Bywater says that his brother
came to the box to get powder to
charge his hole. In picking up the
cartridges a drop Of nitro glycerine
must have been pressed out and
dropped on the hot tin. This caused
the conclusion which, together with
the heat, supplied the conditions re-
quired for "a giant powder explosion,
and one followed instantly. Benja-
min Bywater's ri ght side was toward
the powder, and he received the full
torce of the explosion, as there was no
great damage done in the drift. His
right arm was almost denuded of flesh,
the arteries and veins being all sew
cred; his right eye was torn from its
socket; piece of rock about an inch
, square imbedded itself in the flesh
just below the left nipple; and his
|. right cheek, side OF the head, arm
5 body and leg were literally "peppered'
{ with rock The wonder is that the
man was not instantly killed.
: Mr.. Bywater walked from the fire
to a point in the main tunnel, intend
ing to go out in search Of attendance
. but the cold probably drove him back
f there being a good draft in the tan
mel, and the night being cold. III
n walked back to the powder box, where
n he stood for a while in the hot smoke
). and thcn,a the powder cleared
J, went in to the heading where h
worked, it being the warmest part O
-" the workings. BY this time the poo
fellow had lost SO much blood that h
T. was unable to bandage his right arr
II with one of his suspenders, and coul'
only get it once around his arm, whe
," he was overcome and tainted. Tn
mans course could be seen by tt.
It fresh blood on the bottom Of the tur
," nel--from the powder box to the mai
;" tunnel, and back again to the headin,
Charles Bywater says that there is d
doubt that if his brother had had in
ia mediate attention and been bandwget
III he would at least have lived longe
or AS it was, his brother bled to death.
Us Deceased was from " isconsi
he where his family, consisting Of wi
at and five children, still live on II
IN home farm, at Mazomanie. He WI
ID about 81 years old. During the WI
p he served in the First Heavy Artille
a OF Wisconsin, and spent his lat
r. years in the mines of the West. +
w is known to have had $3.50 on depo>
st in the First National Bank, ketchu,
aud to have 81 days pay duo hi
'e, from the company for whom
at worked. This, with an S0acre far,
OH constitutes all the deceased's wealt
he Deceased's wife is helpless. So,
at years ago she got crippled by ste
ping through board in the sidewa
in Mazomanie. The five children :
Just about able to care Tor them,elv
nd The eldest is ii years old, and a &C
lid ductor on the Chicago & Northwe
ut ern Railway. The Youngest is