Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-07-27
SCENE OF HORROR.
Frightful Explosion on a
Chicago Boulevard.
COMBUSTION OF A CAISSON.

Death, MutiIation, and Mortal Injury
Wrought In a Moment. Bodies
Flying High in the Air.-Details
of the Catastrophe.
A calsson. OF Battery F, Second Artillery
United States army, exploded with terrific
force shortly after one o'clock at Grand and
Oakwood bouIevards, Chicago. Two artil
lerymen and one trooper were instantly killed,
nearly score Of other persons-troops resi-
dents in tie vicinity and passers-by were in
jured-some of them fatally.
The troops left Brighton Park for long
march around the city to exercise the horses.
They were in command OF Captain Dodd, Of
Troop F. Third Cavalry. AMI consisted OF
Troop F, Third Cavalry. forty men; Troop L,
Sixth Cavalry. Lieut.. Tate, forty men; pla-
toon Of Battery T, Second Artillery, two
guns. Lieutenant Gayle, twenty-three men;
Troop B, Seventh Cavalry, Capt. Varnum,
forty men. The men marched in this order.
Everything went smoothly, and there were no
incidents until the column marching south on
Grand bou evard was just crossing Oakwood
boulevard. Then q terrific explosion oc-
CURED. The men on the casson, supposed
to be Donovan and Doyle, were literally
blown to pieces. and others were thrown
many feet by the violenc5 OF the concussion.
Four OF the hornes drawing the caisson fell
in their tracks, shot through and horribly
mangled. while three others were blown fifty
feet ahead against the trees ON the boulevard
The caisson was blown to atoms, not piece
OF it larger than a mans hand being found.
The boulevard looked like battlefield.
There was 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
conclusion broke every window in the houses
for blocks around. The wall and roofs OF
the dwellings showed the terrific eject OF the
missiles. Unexploded shells OF the rear part
OF the caisson lay strewn over the ground.
With the explosion came great confusion
among the troops, and for moment the nier
and officers seemed powerless to move. TIC
this was added the fright of the occupants oi
the surrounding houses. who ran screaming
from their dwellings only to be sickened by
the sight in tho street.
A still alarm OF fire had been turned in,
and with the fire department came the stock
yards police patrol wagon.
1t was some little time before the two dead
artillerymen could be found. One Of them,
mangled beyond recognition, but supposed
to be Doyle, had been blown over board
sign twenty-five feet high, and was found in
a vacant lot behind it. One leg and an arm
were gone. The other man, supposed to lie
Donovan. had been thrown about 300 feet
diagonally to the right, and was found in Il
vacant lot near Lake Shore tracks. Joseph
Gaylor was found near where he was struck.
Great damage was wrought by the explo-
sion to the neighboring property. Windows
in most of the surrounding houses were
blown out, and the damage to residence and
park property in the neighborhood OF the ac-
cident is estimated at about ,000 The
house Of L. C. Huhlng was damaged to the
extent of about 81, 900, most OF the windows
being completely demolished. One OF the
shells struck the roof Of the house and tore
part of it away. Another shell struck between
one OF the bay wind dows and the hall OF Mr..
Huhling's house, and stuck in this position.
]. H. Buster, of 1928 Grand boulevard, lives
directly opposite where the accident occur
red and sustained q loss OF about 1,O0O
A large piece Of one Of the wheels OF the
gun-ceIrlage was carried through his sitting
room window, and carried away a large
lamp, which stood in the window. The house
of Samuel Foster, attorney for the Grand
Trunk railroad, suffered a loss Cf about $1,-
OOO having every window in the house shot
away and the blinds Of the front window
torn to pieces. At the home OF Maurice g.
Dodge, at 1925 Grand Boulevard, the loss was
about 500, mostly in plate-glass windows
and woodwork around tho rooms The house
Of F. H. Howe, at 1891 Grand Boulevard, was
one of the buildings mostly damaged. His
loss is estimated at $4,000. The house OF A.
Devlin, at 1898 Grand Boulevard, was dam
aged about 81 ,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 AMI surrounding
trees.