Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-17
EXPLOSION OF CAISSON
Four United States Soldiers Killed at Chi
cago.
Many More Wounded-Terrible Scene
Artillery Yesterday Afternoon.

AffAikcry yesterday Afternoon
caisson of battery F, second United
States artillery, exploded with terrific force
yesterday afternoon at Grand and lakewood
boulevards, Chicago. Two artillerymen and
one trooper were instantly killed. nearly a
score of other persons-troopers, residents
IN the vicinity and passers-by-were injured,
some of them fatally. The list Of the kill
ed and wounded is as follows,
Killed.. Donovan, private. battery F,
second artillery.
Edward Doyle, private battery F. second
| artillery.
Joseph Gaylor. farrier, troop B, seventh
| cavalry.
! Frederick Stolz. private. second artillery,
| badly burned and wounded about legs; died
| last night.
Wounded-Sergt. Linear, battery F, second
| artillery, badly shot through the bodyi Sc
! Vereiy burned with powder about face and
head; recovery doubtful.
John Allen, private. second artillery. shot
in head and neck; fatally injured.
Maurice ODonnell. private, second artil-
I lery, shot IN the head and powder burned
may recover.
c. Buckle. driver in the rear, second artil-
! lery, blown from his horse and badly in
|
| John Urquhart, private, second artillery
ball OF left foot crushed by a bullet; not
| serious.
Herbert Antes. busler. troop B. seventh
| cavalry. shot in shoulder and arm; will re-
| cover,
/ serst. Anthony Kane, troop B. seventh
| cavalry, ear shot off.
sergt. George Hoffman,. troop B. seventh
Corpl. Abraham Riley, battery F. second
| artillery, thrown to the ground and badly
| bruised.
sergt. King, battery F, second artillery.
| thrown from horse and bruised.
Unknown artilleryman, thrown from
horse. picked up unconscious; injuries
| slight.
| Unknown boy, thrown from bicycle, in
| jured about the legs.
Miss Alice York, 4lO3 Grand boulevard,
| tendon of heel severed by bullet.
Mrs r. G. Huhling. $3.50 Grand boulevard.
/ severely cut and injured in her home by
| falling glass.
| The Tragedy.
| The troops left Brighton Park for a long
march around the city to exercise the
! horses. They were in command Of Capt.
Dodd of troop F. third cavalry. and consist
sd Of troop F, third cavalry. 40 men; troop
e, sixth cavalry. Lieut.. Tate 40 men, pla-
toon of battery F,second artillery, two guns,
! Lieut.. Gayle. % men; troop B, seventh
| cavalry. Capt. Varnum, 40 men. The men
| marched in this order. Everything went
| smoothly and there were no incidents Until
| the column marching south on Grand boule-
| ward was just crossing lakewood boulevard.
| Then terrific explosion occurred. The
| men on the caisson, supposed to be Donovan
and Doyle. were literally blown to pieces.
| and others We're thrown many feet by the
violence Of the conclusion. Four OF the
| horses drawing the caisson fell in their
| tracks shot through and horribly mangled,
while three others were blown fifty feet
] q han a. an thA If,t.l DtN
| The casson was demolished, not piece of 1t
| larger than a mans hand being found. The
| boulevard looked like battlefield.
Shot Fell Like Hail.
There was a quick series of explosions
! after the first report, and shrapnel shot
rained like hail among the trees of the
! boulevard and pierced the surrounding
| buildings. The concUssion broke every
| window in the houses for blocks around
| The walls and roofs of the dwellings showed
| the terrific effect Of the missiles. Unex-
ploded shells Of the rear part Of the caisson
| lay strewn over the ground.
| With the explosion came great confusion
| OF the troops and for moment men and
| officers seemed powerless to move. To this
was added the fright Of the occupants of the
surrounding houses. who ran screaming
| from their dwellings only to be sickened by
| the sight in the street.
A still alarm of fire had been turned In
|
| stock yards police patrol wagon. The wag-
| on was sent back to the station and 1t re-
/ turned with twenty-five men under COM
mand of Lieut.. Morrissey. He then tele-
and soon Capt. Dollard arrived with twenty
| five more men. Later. Inspectors Hunt and
Fitzpatrick and Lieut.. Bonfield arrived.
Blown Many Feet Away.
| It was some little time before the two
! dead artillerymen could be found. One Of
| them manglcd beyond recognition, but sup
| posed 10 be Doyle, had been blown over a
/ board sign p feet high and was found in a
vacant lot behind it. One leg and an arm
| were gone. The other man. supposed to be
| Donovan, had been thrown about 300 feet
diagDnally 70 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 was wrought by the en-
/ plosl0n to neishbuTlng property. Windows
/ II most of the surrounding houses were
| blown out and the damage to residence and
/ park property in the ncighborhooi of the
| accident is estimate at about $4,000. The
! house Of T.. G. Huhlipg was damaged to
/ the extent Of about 81 ,0;G. most of the win
/ dows being completely demolished One of
| the shells struck the roof of the house and
/ tore r,1rt Of It away. Another shell struck
| between one Cf the bay windows and the
( hGu OF Mr. HuhlnG's house and stuck in
this position.
Col. WiIlitson's Theory
! Gen. Miles directed Captain NTlchler and
/ Col. Wiilitson OF the commissary depart
nent, and a former commander Of the bat
/ terry t. g. to the scene Of the accident and
seenre a report OF the affair. On the return
! Of col Wi,Iijs5n he gave the following yer
/ bal account of the accident preparatory to
writing his report:
THE command, under the escort of the
! cavalry, was taking its daily march exer-
! erc,ses. The caisson consists OF a timber,
on which is d chest and the carriage, con-
( tanning two chests more OF ammunition,
making three chests on the caisson. The
/ explosion occurred in the chest of the lin
| Der, and the force OF the explosion was to
| the rear, tearing away the caisson ami iE
| Eitei the powder in the other two chests.
! The first cais5on carried - shrapnel and
| - cartridges. Shrapnel and loaded percus-
| sion sneil, containing Eliminates and small
| balls are fired from the cannon by cart
| ride containing.as in this case, 81 pounds
| Of powder.
"AIy theory of the accident Is that the
| screw Plug at the base of one of the shrap
mel became locsened. some of the powder
I Al