The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-10-19
John Dryden's Tragic Death.

Last week just as we went to press
there came meagre news of the death oi
John Dryden. From the Chicago Rec.
ord OF Tuesday, the 10th, we gather the
following particulars:
John Dryden, one of the operators
employed to send up the big fireworks
bombs from the end of casino pier, was
fatally injured by the explosion of a
bomb and died at the hospital. His left
arm was blown almost in two above the
elbow, a terrible hole was blown in his
left side and the left leg was broken Just
above the knee. He was taken to the
hospital, where the surgeons did what
they could to relieve his death agonies.
Dryden and another emplope of James
Pain & Son were detailed to take care of
the fireworks display on the pier. A
station had been established near the
outer end. Their work was to send up
the big bombs, which, exploding high
in the air, sent forth hundreds Of bril-.
liant fire balls. They had three OF four
large mortars and half dozen boxes of
materials to work with.
At 8:45 nearly all the shells had been
fired. While the thousands were watch.
ing particularly beautiful display Dry.
den was reloading his steel mortar. The
long fuse began to sizzle and Dryden fell
back. The expected explosion failed to
take place, and after waiting for some
time Dryden went back. He had lust
reached the mortar when there was a
binding fash and terrible explosion.
The shell, in bursting, tore a mole foot
square in the heavy planks, and the fly.
ing pieces of the bomb struck Dryden
with full force. He had fell back, but
few people knew the terrible result.
Several OF the specially detailed fire.
men from the city were standing near
by. E. A. McGurn OF engine company
No. 2, 30 Monroe street, was among them.
Mr.. McGurn said 81 saw Dryden touch
off the fuse and then fall back. When
he went to look at the shell, which had
not exploded, l saw the fash and the
terrible explosion almost made &c &c deaf.
J saw Dryden blown back and fall fully
ten feet from the mortar. As soon as 1
could hurried to him. He was calling
piteously, Help me, help me- He call.
ed for his partner. Several people came
up then and Columbian guard turned
in an alarm to the emergency hospital"
Dryden was lifted tenderly and placed
on some clothes when the ambulance
came up. The surgeons made hasty
examination of his injuries and did all
they could to relieve his sufferings
They found his left arm almost complete.
ly torn off. 1t hung down limp, held
only by the flesh above the elbow.
There was an ugly wound on the left
breast, near the region of the heart.
Further examination showed that the
left leg was probably broken above the
knee. The wounds all bled profusely
and Dryden was very weak. After dress
ing his wounds and administering stim-
ulants, the injured man was placed on
a stretchcr and taken to the hospital.
He suffered untold agony, but during all
the time he lay ON the pier he never
lost consciousness. His wounds were
too serious for recovery, and half an
hour after reaching the hospital he ex-
pired. Later the body was taken to
Rolston's norge, where it will be pre-
pared for burial.
The bombs are fred from steel mortars
81 feet high, l foot in diameter and l
inch thick. The bombs are inclosed in
compressed paper. They consist of ex-
plosive materials and the balls which
make the brilliant display. The bombs
are fred into the air, and then when
up some loo or 200 feet they suddenly
explode. There we're few people near
the mortar at the time of the accident,
otherwise the result might have been
still worse.
Dryden was but 2l years of age. He
came to Chicago last spring from his
home at Columbus, o., where he is said
to be wea1 -onnected.