Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-07-19

Chicago, July 1.-THE caisson OF
battery Il, second artillery, u. S. ar
my, exploded with terrific force yes
terday afternoon at the corner OF
Grand and lakewood bouleyards. Three
artillerymen and one trooper were in
stantly killed. Nearly a score of other
people were injured, some fatally
The killed were:
PRIVATE DONOVAN, battery f,
artillery.
PRIVATE DOYLE, same.
PRIVATE STOLZ.
FARRIER GAYLOR, troop B, sew
enth cavalry.
The wounded are:
Sergeant Leiner, battery f, second
artillery, badly shot and burned, re
coyery doubtful.
Private Allen, fatally shot in the
neck and head.
Private ODonnel, shot in the head
and burned.
Driver Lncke, blown from his horse
and badly injured.
Private Urquart, Shot in the foot
Bugler Antes, shot in the shoulder
and left arm.
Sergeant Kane, ear shot off
Sergeant Hoffman, shot in the chin
Corporal Riley, badly bruised.
Sergeant King, bruised.
An unknown artillerman was thrown
nj.
sciouS.
An unknown boy was thrown from
his bicycle and injured.
Miss Alice York, tendon of heel
severed by bullet.
The troops left Brighton Park for
long march around the city to exer-
else the horses. They were in com
mand of Capt. Dodd, troop +, third
cavalry. Everything went smoothly
until the column was marching south
on Grand boulevard, just crossing Oak
wood boulevard. Then u terrific eX-
plosion occurred.
The men Oh the CaisSon, Supposed
to be Donovan and Doyle, were liter
ally blown to pieces and others We're
thrown many let by the violence OF
the concuSSiOn. -Four OF the horses
drawing the casSon fell in then
tracks, shot through and horribly
mangled, while three others were
blown fifty feet against trees, dying
Instantly. The caisSon was blown to
atoms, not Il piece OF it larger than
mans hand being found. The boule-
ward looked like a battlefield.
There was Il quick series Of eXpIO-
Sions after the nrst report, and shrap-
mel shot ralneu like hail among the
trees and pierced surrounding dwell
lngs WITH the explosion came great
confusion and for a moment men and
officers seemed powerleSS to move.
To this was added the fright of the
occupants OF surrounding houses.
who rushed screaming into the street
only to be sickened at Uhe sight
which met their gaze.
4 fire alarm was turned in and with
the department came patrol wagons
and number of policemen and the
work of collecting the dead, dying
and wounded and removing them to
suitable places was Immediately be
gun.
The damage to residences and park
property III the neighborhood is es-
timated at about $4,000. Shells
and other missiles as well as frag-
ments of the exploded caisson tore
through the windows of surrounding
houses, creating havoc in each in
stance.
Col. Willitson, who investigated the
occurrence on behalf of Gen. Miles,
stated that his theory of the accident
was that Il screw plug became loosed
and the powder leaked out and was
ground and pounded by the jolting
until it ignited, causing the eXplo-
sion, He said further:
Il take no stock in the theory that
dynamite had anything to do with it.
The greatest precaution is taken
about the ammunition, the caissons
being inspected daily. 1t Is the first
accident on record of a similar ma
ture. Ammunition has been jolted
over rough roads in Kansas, and yet,
when going at a light trot on the
smoothest road in Chicago, this eX-
ploSion took place"