, 1888-12-22
A REMARKABLE STORY.
A Man Said to BE Blown Up by Dynam-
tie Within Him.


The following most remarkable
story is furnished The Huntsville Mer-
curry by one of its reliable correspond
puzzle scientists no little:
A strange occurrence took place in
Blount county, Ala, yesterday which
I viii 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 rail-
road officials were here on a tour Of
inspection, with the view of opening
some beds of iron ore and selecting
the most practicable route for the ex-
tension OF the new railway that leads
up this valley.
This, indeed, seems to have been the
true battle grounds of the gods with
"Pelion piled upon Ossa," or the utter
confusion of the biologists, who can
not account for red iron ore in one side
Of a mountain, brown on the other,
with veins of coal Immediately under
lying the top on both sides, so it was
determined to leave them out of the
party and carry along a practical man
familiar with the formations peculiar
to this valley for all geological in
formation necessary in making an ap-
proximate estimate Of the amount of
solid and loose rock to be encountered
on the extension. Accordingly an old
foreman, Mr.. Merits, who had had
largo experience in railroading in
the west, was selected. He was an in
telligent, sober and industrious man,
who regularly once a month sent the
greater part of his earnings to his
tUIfn nnh nh5I1-a- ~ Ua-caa Ha
gave his opinions only after the
most careful examinations, and the
gentlemen had implicit confidence as
to their accuracy. The party reached
a perpendicular bluff about fifteen feet
high, when Mr.. Merits climbed down
to q ledge about six feet from the top
n with his hammer was investigat-
ing the character oil stones and their
probable thickness. The gentlemen
above heard several blows from his
hammer, then apparently a quantity
of loose rocks falling and Immediately
a terrific explosion. They were all
considerably shocked, but not other
wise hurt, and at once went to the
edge of the precipice, where they de-
tected the strong odor of dynamite,
but to their CONSERVATION could see
nothing of Mr.. Merits. After a careful
search some small pieces of his clothing
were found hanging in a tree about
thirty feet from the ground, but
hat was all. The question for the
scientists to settle is what caused
the explosion. A number of peo-
pie from Birmingham have visited
the place, but 1 have heard only one
plausible theory, and that was ad-
vanced by Mr.. Schultz, a scientist. 1t
is known positively that Mr.. Merits
had no dynamite with him, and Mr..
Schultz says the only possible way to
account for the explosion is that he
had constantly, for anumber of years,
been handling dynamite and nitro
glycerine, and that SO much had been
taken into his system by absorption
hat it was only necessary for him to
receive a 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 l
can't say, but give the facts as they
happened, and they can be substan-
tiated by a number of citizens in this
vicinity and Birmingham, who will
inform you if there is any more light
on the subject