The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-07-18

high and was found in a vacant lot be-
hind IL. One leg and an arm were gone.
The other man, supposed to be Donovan,
had been thrown about three hundred
feet diagonally 10 the right and was
found in a vacant lot near the Lake
Shore tracks. Joseph GaylOr was found
near where he was struck.
Great Damage Done.
Great damage was wrought by the ex-
plosion to neighboring property. VIM
dows in most OF the surrounding houses
were blown out and the damage to resi-
dence and park property in the neigh
bOrhood Of the accident is estimated at
about $4,000.
The house Of z. c. Huehling was dam
aged to the extent Of about $1,000, most
of the windows being completely demol-
ished. One OF the shells struck the roof
Of the house and tore away part of the
roof. Another shell struck between one
Of the bay windows and the wall of Mr..
Huehling's house and stuck in this posi-
ton.
J. r. Custer Of 1923 Grand boulevard
lives directly opposite where the accident
occurred and sustained a loss Of about
S1,500. A large piece of one Of the wheels
Of the gUn-cawiage was carried through
his sitting-room window and carried
away a large lamp which stood in the
window
The house of Samuel Bloster, attorney
for the Grand Trunk road. suffered
loss Of about $1,000, having every window
in the house shot away and the blinds
of the front windows torn to pieces.
At the home of Maurice G. Dodge, 1925
Grand boulevard, the loss was about
$780, mostly In plate glass windows and
woodwork around the rooms.
The house Of F. X. Howe, at 1891 Grand
boulevard, was one of the buildings most
" damaged. His loss is estimated at
81, 600.
The house of A. Devliu, at 1888 Grand
boulevard, was damaged about $500.
One Of the iron shells struck the balcony
rail and lodged there.
Col. WiIIeston's Account.
Gen. Miles directed Capt. NIichler and
Col. Willetson Of the commissary depart
ment and a former commander of the
battery to go to the scene Of the acci-
dent and secure a report of the affair.
On the return of Col Willetson he gave
the following verbal account OF the acci-
cent preparatory 10 writing his report:
The command, under The escort of the
cavalry, was taking its daily march eX-
ercise. The caisson consists of timber,
on which is a chest, and the carriage
containing two chests more of ammunl-
tion, making three chests on the caissOn.
q
the timber and the force OF the explosion
was to the rear, tearing away the caiSson
and igniting the powder i'm the other
two chests. The first caisson carried
forty-two schrapnel and fOrty-fOur cart
ridges. The schTapuel are loaded percus
sion shells, containing Eliminates and
small balls and are fired from the can
non by n cartridge containing, as IN
this case, three and three-feurths pounds
Of powder Ny theory of the accident
,.T4r Q fae hos f NO
Of the SChrapnel became loOSeneed, some
of the powder leaked out, and, being
ground and pounded by the JOltinG OF
the Timber, ignited the powder in the
cartridges exploded and the ignition Of
the cartridges i'm the other two chess
followed. In the second chest on the
caisson were twenty-siX lime shells, Six
teen shTapnel and and their complement
of forty-fOur cartridges; in the third and
rear chests were forty-two shells and
forty-four cartridges
THE force OF the explosion can be
more readily understood when it is re-
membered that the 1872 cartridges con-
tained 492 pounds of powder. The men
who were in the detachment said that
they recognized two distinct reports,
seemingly almost simultaneous. This
was the timber chest followed almost in
the instant by the other two chests. The
rattle of explosions that followed the
crest detonations was the bursting of
the schrapnel as they struck the ground.
The men on the caisson were lifted by
the explosion, while the horses were
killed by the missiles from the schrapnel.
All of the forty-twO schrapnel in the
timber chest exploded, while four of the
sixteen in the second chest were found
unexploded None Of the shells exploded.
They do not contain any illuminate ana
are fired by a time fuse.
Is UnexpIninnbie.
Il take no stock in the theory that
dynamite had anything to do with it,
The greatest caution is always taken
about the ammunition. Each chest is
locked by a Yale lock. specially made
for the government. There are no keys
in any battery that viii unlock any but
the chest TO which it belongs. and I do
not believe there Is a key in Chicago
that win unlock any Of our artillery
chests The ammunition is most care
fully packed under the supervision of an
officer. Every day it is examined This
caisson was inspected last evening All
the schrapnel were looked after and the
screw plugs examined and tightened. /
have no recollection Of a similar acci-
dent in the United States artillery and
it is the first on record so far as I can
learn. The guns were the new riled
field pieces recently introduced into the
service and have never seen active duty
The ammunition is a couple of months
old and has been jolted over the rough
roads in Kansas, and yet when going at
1f.r-+ 4 -,