St. Paul daily globe., 1894-07-17

houses were blown out, and the damage
to residences and park property in the
neighborhoOd of the accident Is estimat-
ed at about $4,000.
The house OF E. G. Huhling was da m.
aged to the extent of about $1,000. most
of the windows being completely de-
moiished. 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.. Huhliug's house and stuck in this
position. j. Il. Custer, of 1925 Grand
boulevard. lives directly opposite
where the accident occurred and sus-
tained a loss of about $500. y large
piece of one of the wheels of the gun
carriage was carried through his sitting
room window, and carried away large
lamp which stood in the window. The
house of Samuel Is. Foster, attorney for
the Grand Trunk road, suffered loss
Of about $1,000, having every window
in the house shot away, and the
window blinds of the front win
dows torn to pieces. AT the home
of Maurice &. Dodge, at 1925
Grand boulevard, the loss was about
800, mostly in plate glass windows and
woodwork around the rooms. The house
of +. II. Howe, at 1881 Grand boulevard,
was one of the buildings most damaged.
His loss is estimated at $1,000. The
house of A. Deylin, at 1888 Grand boule-
ward, was damaged about $500. One
of the iron shells struck the balcony
rail and lodged there. All the windows
were blown out and the glass scattered
around the rooms, together with pieces
of the gun carriage and surrounding
trees.
COL. wILLITsoN's REPORT.
Gen. Miles directed Capt. Michler
and Col. Wlllitson, of the commlsssary
department, and former commander
of the battery. to go to the scene of the
accident and secure report of the af-
fair. On the return to Col. Willitson he
gave the following verbal account OF
the accident preparatory to writing out
his report:
"rhe command under the escort of
the cavalry was taking its daily march
exercise.
"The caisson consists OF a Timber, on
WlllCll ID q Cll6Sl, dllu tIlC COu-
tanning two chests more of ammunition,
making three chests on the caiSSon.
The explosion occurred in the chest of
the timber, and the force of the eX-
ploSion was to the rear, tearing away
the caisSon and ignlting the powder i'll
the other two chests. The first calSson
carried f0rty-tWo Shrapnel and forty
four cartridges. The ShraDnel are loaded
percussion shell containing Eliminates
aud small balls, and are fired from the
cannon by cartridge containing, i'll
this case, ga pounds of powder. My
theory of the accident is that the screw
plug at the base of one of the shrapnel
became loosened, some of the powder
leaked out, and, being ground and
pounded by the Jolting of the limber,
gnited, the powder in the cartridges
exploded, and the ignition of
the cartridges in the other two
chests followed. In the second chest
on the caiSson were 20 time shells, l6
shrapnel and their complement of a
cartridges. In the third and rear chest
were AZ shells and Al cartridges. The
force or the explosion can be more
readily understood when it is remem-
bered that the l32 cartridges contained
495 pounds of powder. The men who
were in the detachment said they rec
OgnlZed three distinct reports, seeming
ly almost simultaneous. This was the
timber chest, followed almost in the in-
stant by the other two chests. The
rattle of explosions that followed the
great detonatiOn was the bursting of the
shrapnel as they struck the ground.
The men OH the caisson were lifted by
the explosion. while the horses were
killed by the missiles from the shrapnel.
! All of the forty-two shrapnel III the
Timber chest exploded, while four of
the ten in the second chest were found
unexploded. None of the time shells
exploded; they do not contain any
| illuminate and are fired by time fuse.
~ take no stock III the theory that
dynamite has anything to do with it.
| The greatest precaution is always taken
| about the ammunition. The chest is
| locked by Yale lock, specially made
| for the government. There are no keys
| in any battery that will unlock any
| but the chest to which it belongs, and /
do not believe there is key in Chicago
that will unlock any of our artillary
| chests. The ammunition is most care
| fully packed under the supervision of
an officer. Every day it is examined.
This ca'sson was inspected last even
| ing. ALI of the shapnel were looked
after, and the screw plugs examined
and frightened. l have no recollection
of similar accident in United Stotes
artillery 1t is the first on record so far
as l can learn. The guns were the new
rified feldpieces 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 "a light trot on the
smoothest roads iniChicago the explosion
took place."
Fred Stolz, of the Second artillery
died tonight. He was terribly burned
and bruised by the explosion.