Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-08
Stranger than Fiction.

BLOWN TO ATOMS BY DYNAMITE ABSORBED IN THE
SYSTEM.
From the Chattanooga Times.
The following most remarkable story is
furnished the Huntsville Mercury by one of its
reliable correspondents.
LowERY, BLoUNT COUNTY, ALA, Oct. "a, 1884,
A strange occurrence took place near here yes
day which Will not attempt to explain but
give you the facts as they are. party of
birmingham capitalists largely interested in
the minerals of the region, and some Or ointment
railroad officials were here on tour of inspec-
ton with the view of opening some beds of
iron ore and selecting the most practicable
route for the extension of the new railway that
leads up this valley This, indeed, seems to have
been the true battle ground of the gods. with
'Pelion piled upon Ossa" to the utter confusion
OF the biologists, who cannot account fer red
iron ore IN one side OF a mountain, brown on
the other, with veins of coal immed iately un-
DERIVING the top on both sides; so it was deter
mined to leave them out of the party and carry
along practical man, familiar with the forma-
tions peculiar to this valley, for all geological
information necessary in making an approx
mate estimate OF the amount of solid and loose
rock to be encountered on the extension. Ac-
cordingly an old foreman, Mr.. Merits who had
been IN the valley on the new road since April,
and had also had large experience in railroad
ing in the West, was selected. He was an in
telligent, sober, and industrious man, who
ic6 uiaiiy oiiCe uoHtu eSuL Inc greater part
OF his earnings to his wife and children in
Kansas. He gave his opinions only after the
most careful examinations. and the gentle
men had implicit confidence as to their
accuracy. The party reached a perpen-
dicular bluff about Is feet high when Mr.
Merits climbed down to ledge about feet
from the top and with his hammer was investi-
eating the character of the stones and its
probable thickness The gentlemen above
heard several blows from his hammer, then
apparently quantity of loose rocks falling
and Immediately a terrific explosion. They
were all considerably shocked but not other
the precipice, where they detected 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 tree
about 30 feet from the ground, but that
was all. The question for the scientists to
settle is what caused the explosion. A num-
Der of people from Birmingham have visited
the place, but have heard only one plausible
theory, and that was advanced 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
a number of years been handling dynamite and
nitro-glycerine, and that SO much had been
taken into his system by absorption that 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 this story Is true or not can't say,
but give the facts as they happened and they
can be substantiated by number of citizens
in this vicinity and Birmingham, who will in
form you if there is any more light on the SUBJ
ject. Very respectfully, POWDER JUDsoN.