Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-14
THAT CAIssoN EXPLOSION.
The Chicago Accident Was Not wttn-
out Precedent.

out Precedent.
From the st. Louis Republic
On the morning Of the 10th ultirno I'm Chi
cago caisson belonging 70 battery + of
the second artillery of the United States
army blew up with fearful force, killing
three artillcrymen and a trooper and
wounding thirteen others. besides damaging
much property in the vicinity Of the place
where the explosion occurred. II was
thought at the time and so announced that
the explosion was unprecedented-that MOTH
ing like IL had ever occurred before But
since then another Instance where a limbe-
exploded, probably the only other instance
of the kind has come to light. 1t occurred
In India In the fall of 1868. Capt. Clement
w. Bellairs, at present the fair grounds
superintendent, who. was at that time in
the British service and stationed at Bellary,
witnessed ii. At the time of the Chicago
explosion Capt Bellairs was at Lake Min
netonka recuperating. He saw the account
of the affair. stating that IL was unique.
never having occurred before, and wrote
privately to Gen. Nelson A Miles relating
the Indian affair. Capt. Bellairs spent nine
teen years in the British service.
A Republic reporter called en- the captain
at his pretty home in the far grounds yes
terday and heard the account of the eNplo-
sion which he witnessed in India. II is best
told In the captains own language
we were stationed al Bellary, winch Is
located in what are known as the Coded
Districts, in the Madras presidency which
Is IN the southern part of India Major
Richard Hennigan was In command OF the
post, while Capt. w. +. Game was COM
manding the battery IN which the explosion
occurred We drilled early in the morning,
being obliged TO finish before sun up ID
battery of ID brigade Of the royal horse ar
tiliery, which was the fatal one, COM
posed OF six guns. with six horses to each,
There were three drivers for the six horses,
one sergeant and nine gunners, making a
total of ten men for a mounted detach-
n;ent, including the three horse-holders
when in action, also the two gunners who
sit on the timber. The horse artillery bat
teries in the British service never take out
the caissons as they do in the field bait
teries, the detachments being mounted. As
a rule, drill in the British artillery COM
mences with a march past. both horse ar
tillery and field batteries walking and trot-
ting past In various formations. At the end
OF the trot past, as IL is known, the field
batteries proceed TO their original stand.
while the horse artillery continues quite q
distance beyond the line of passing and
reversing, forms columns Of half batteries,
that is, of three guns each. with the left
in front.
They then ga.op past the comma ndine
officer at top speed. On this occasion the
left half battery, which was leading had
all but arrived at the saluting point when
the Timber of the center gun Of the followi
ing half battery, which was thirty-eight
yards in the rear. blew UP. The defamation
and force Of the explosion was awful The
three drivers Of the guns, which was No.
:. as wei as the two timber gunners, were
killed instantly. being mangled and torn
fearfully. The six horses were also killed.
Many Of the detachment of mounted gum
ners were injured. as well as the horses a
gurs Nos 1 and 8. which, with the one in
which the explosion occurred. formed the
second half battery, and which were nine.
teen yards on each flank Of IL.
In the British service the farrier SER
nf No .
gun. In this case the farrier sergeant a
brave fellow named Taylor. was riding in
his usual position, o1nted on a roam
horse, his usual charger The paddock from
one OF the two timber boxes was blown
backwards, struck his horse in the chest,
pierced the cavity, and was afterward
found 10 have penetrated past the back
RIBS. Sergt. Taylor was terribly burned
and dishgured; so much SO that when he
recovered enough to be around. after weeks
OF lying In cottonwood, his body was as
blue as sulphats of copper, and the army
physicians said that the dye would remain
stanch for the rest Of his life which il did.
We never had a doubt in the battery as
to the cause OF the awful accident. The
half battefy's regular ammunition inspec-
ton had taken place the previous day The
lieutenant in command of that half battery
had kept his men waiting for some time
before he arrived to make the Inspection
SO long that the timber gunner's dinner
hour had past before he had concluded In
their haste to get TO dinner they had no
doubt failed 10 properly screw on the caps
Of one or more shells. of which there are
thirty-three in each timber box and some
powder must have dribbled out The toIt,
ing of the timber at the furious mace az
which they galloped past produced friction
on the outside of a shell or shot and tho
catastrophe followed. II IL had happened
In q field battery the explosion would un-
doubtedly have been communicated TO the
caisson or wagon, as Il is called over there.
indeed"