New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-08
DEATH SPRANG IN HIS FACE.
KILLED BY A SHELL BURSTING IN HIS
HANDS.
youR OTTER MEN BADLY BURNED BY AN Ex-
PLosIoN At FORT wADswoRTH.

SOUR OTTER MEN BADLY BURNED BY An Ex-
= PLosIoN AT FORT wADswoRTH
The garrison at Fort Wadsworth was startled
Yesterday afternoon about 2 o'clock by loud ex-
plosion; and had an experience of hot shot ana
bursting shell that was unexpected as it proved
fatal
Five men were "sizing" cartridges for use In
the Navy in what is called the Lower Fort where
such operations have been carried on for several
months, and in the absence of Joseph smith,
gunner who has charge of this work. HotchKiss
machine-gun she'll exploded killing Nathaniel
Chapman, of Green Lane Brooklyn. and seriously
burning George Heirnos and John Davis. OF BROOK
lyn, j. j. Keegan, of Rose Mount. s. H. ana
Frederick Cook Of Clifton, S. j. They were all
aaborers employed to do this work, and not en-
listed men,
There were two almost simultaneous explosions
one the bursting of the SHE'LL ana the o'ner
the explosion of about thirty pounds OF guhpo""er
that remained fn a barrel from which the men had
been taking it to ill the cartridges These Ho.ch
kiss shells have calibre OF l70 lncnes ana
powder charge of thirty-five ounces Inc smell
is expa0ded by concussion, and has az l's pase a
cap or fuse that ignites the charge IN the smell
itself To this shell is attached the case. which
ulated, octagonal powder, and has at its end
percussion cap which should be sunk little be-
low the surface The shell. with its case is
laid in a trough and "sized"-that is. made of
such a size rs just TO fit the breech of the gun.
This sizing is done by striking gently copper
clamp that is attached to the shell. gradually
fercing the case into the sizing tube.
Nothing could be learned as to how the accident
really happened. Gunner Joseph Smith, who was
in charge of the loading had just gone away. as
the work was all but over. There is little doubt,
,however, that Chapman. in forcing the cartridge
into the sizer," struck the cap, which caused
the first explosion.
The four men were seated around table. To
the left of Chapman was the barrel Of powder,
which also exploded and was the cause of the
burning of the wounded men. AS each cartridge
was loaded it was packed away in a easement ad-
jscent 20 the one occupied by the men; otherwise
the accident might have been much more serious
The table at which the men were working was
badly scorched and three -fOurths of it blown
into spnters. Among the fragments was found
an unexploded fuse. similar to that placed at the
end of the shell, and this thought by some
officers to be part of the exploded shell, while
Others were Of the opinion that it could not have
been so.
The easement itself, as the apartment in the
fort in which a gun is worked is called, was in
no way injured by the explosion, except for some
small chips knocked off the granite walls by frag
ments of the she'll court Of inquiry, over
which Major Walker will preside, has been or
dered TO look into the cause of the accident. The
Naval authorities have been allowed to fill their
shells in the fort since July.
Chapman, the man who was killed. about
forty years old. and had not it is said been long
OF this kind of work. According to the state
ment of George Heirnos, Chapman was holding
the she'll at the time the accident took place
and was facing the bullet. while Davis was tap
ping it on the end with malet, in order to
drive it inte--tlss -.sizer, as this was deemed
a quicker way of accomplishing their object
than the proper method of screwing the shell in.
The mallet used with which the shell is
driven out of the sizer" by hitting it the
nonexplosive end. whenever it becomes tightly
wedged that it cannot be removed in any other
way. small copper bar is also used in this
operation, the bar being placed against the end
of the shell and struck with the mallet.
Ii is difficult to conceive how the mallet itself
could have come in contact with the percussion
cap, which is countersunk in the metal of the
SHE'LL while it seems hardly possible that the men
could have been stupid enough to tap the cap with
the copper bar. Davis was too weak last night
10 give any coherent account OF II.
At all events the shell exploded, piece OF IL
cutting through Chapman's left shoulder, sever
ing an artery and leaving wound that looked
as if il had been inflicted with an axe. Another
large piece of the shell lodged in his stomach
His neck broken and the lower part OF his
face was almost mpletely carried away When
found, he still living, but was UNCONSCIOUS
and died in a short time, having sustained a
severe burning, beside his other injuries. Ills
body was placed in the morsue at the fort ana
will probably he taken away by his frlends To-Day.
George Heirnos was sleeping quietly last even
ing, and the Fort Wordsworth hospital surgeon,
Dr. f. Price said that he he was Sdsop 1ne eaSs S
scraping the sides of the powder oarrcl anu
shaking the dust off the lid, preparatory to putting
the powder away, the afternoons work was
nearly completed, and there was about thirty
five pounds of powder still in the barrel that
had been left over in their work. While tnus
ioor, and burned terribly about the hcad; laSe 1e
md hands He jumped up, and finding hlmseii
O, fire. and amid sufiocating smoke, tried TO make
hh way out of the easement TO secure hcip
The explosion shook the ground about the place
ana sounded like the discharge OF large cannon.
Gowd quickly gathered about the Lower over f0r' nd
10 sscertain what had OccasiOned the noise, ana
they were horror-stricken to behold i0ur men
rushing out cf the fort IN names' WIN haho, .los
and aces so buped and nlied WIFI po"uci 'i''
they were unrecognizable. ..
Waer was speedily procured, and the men wcr, ,
saturaed with il. They were SO eNci,cu .na. .
their terrible situation did not seem 10 DE apparent
70 then and they at once went 10 aiu III ieoo'ei'
ing ther comrade, Chapman a h,ood
>. Chapman was found maneled, burned ana nleed
Ing, lylig against one OF bie kIa'S Pi;I,, soon
support the arched roof. 1t was speeoiy stn s
that he was past recovery, and attention w's :
bestowed upon the survivors. who were IN
pitiable cndition. -, .ho eosb
John LAWS was terribly burned Insa the and 1eS !,
,,eeed Of whom his clothes were beine
removed His face is so full of powder that aoi II
looks like negros and his eyes are frnssd nc% and
turned insi6 out. He will no doubt be disIg,
ured for life though apart from the extent oi ,le
burns hesurface of his body which md may te e
suit seriously he has. no other INJURY """ '''>
burns are not dangerously deep, .L,
Frederick Cox is also badly burned aoouo :, o,,e
face neck hands and hips. but is not In any oai, an
ger His ankss were also badly burned oy M
overals and gdters taking fire, but he was moi
suffering much last evening.
Keegan was ,urned in the face and his nose
was nearly scor'hed of. He however, Is 1o,hs ionn
well and will bcabe 10 return home before long