Omaha daily bee., 1888-11-11
Stranger Than Fiction.

Chattanooga Times: The following
| most remarkable story is furnished the
| Huntsville Mercury by one Of its re-
| liable correspondents. and presents a
| case that will puzzle scientists no little:
| A strange occurrence took place near
| Lowrcy, Ala, which | will not attempt
to explain but give you the facts as they
are.
A party of Birmingham capitalists,
| largely interested in the minerals of
| the region and some prominent railroad
officials were here on a tour of inspec-
tion with the view of opening some beds
of iron ore and selecting the most prac-
ticable route for the extension of the
new railway that leads up this valley.
This, indeed, seems to have been the
true battle grounds of the gods with
''Peiion piled upon Ossa" to the utter
| confusion of the geologists, who cannot
accOuntfor red iron ore in one side of a
mountain, brown on the other, with
veins of coal Immediately underlying
the top on both sides, SO it was de-
termined to leave them out of the
party and carry along practical man
familiar with the formations peculiar to
this valley for all geological informa-
tiOn necessary in making an apprOxi-
mate estimate of the amount of solid
and loose rock so be encountered on the
extension. Accordingly an old fore
man, Mr.. Merits, who had been in the
valley on the new road since April. and
had also had large experience in rail-
rOading in the west, was selected. He
was an intelligent. sober and industri-
Gus man, who regularly once month
sent the greater part Of his earnings to
his wife and children in Kansas. He
gave his opinions only after the most
pupof fp1 n a inng and thn 10
men had implicit confidence as to their
accuracy. The party reached a perpen-
dicuar bluff about fifteen feet high
when Mr.. Merits climbed down to u
ledge about six feet from the top and
with his hammer was investigating the
character of stones and its probable
thickness. The gentlemen above
heard several blows from his hammer.
then apparently quantity of loose
rocks falling and Immediately Il terrific
explosion. The were all considerably
shocked but not otherwise hurt.
and at once went to the edge OF
the precipice where they detected the
strong OdOr of dynamite, but to their
CONSERVATION could see nothing of Mr..
Merits. After Il careful search some
small pieces of his clothing were found
hanging in tree about thirty feet from
the ground, but that was all. The ques-
tion for the scientists to settle is what
caused the explosion. A number of
people from Birmingham have visited
the place, but | have heard only one
plausible theory, and that was advanced
by Mr.. Schultz, scientist. 1t is known
positively that Mr.. Merits had no dyna-
mite with him, and Mr.. Shutz says the
only possible way to account for the ex-
plosion is that he had constantly for a
number OF years been handling dyna-
mite and nitro-glycerine, and that SO
much had been taken into his system
by absorption that it was only necessary
for him to receive Slight jar to set it
off, which was done when he struck the
ground on falling from the ledge.
Whether his story is true or not
happened, and they can be substan-
tated by number OF citizens in this
vicinity and Birmingham, who will in
form you if there is any more light on
the subject. Very respectfully,
POWDER JTDSON,