Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-17
TERRIBLE FATALITY.
Explosion Of an Artillery CaiSsOn at a
Chicago Corner.
THREE MEN KILLED OUTRIGHT.
One Man Fatally and Nsn,bcr of Other
Persons More or Less Seri-
ousiy Hurt.

CHICAGO, July l6.-Th!s afternoon
caisson belonging TO a Hotchkiss gun
Of the Second Regular Artillery exploded
at Fourth street and Grand boulevard.
and a fine residence was destroyed. Fol-
lowing are the casuafties:o
JOSEPH GAILiER, Troop B, seventh
Cavalry. head blown OF
CANNONEER DONOVAN. Battery r.
Second Artillery, Fort RLey. Kansas.
killed.
JEREMIAH DOYLE cannoneer, Battery
+, Second Artillery, Fort Riley. Kansas.
killed.
HERBERT ANDRES. trumpeter. Troop
y. Seventh Cavalry. fatally wounded;
taken TO Mercy Hospital.
Injured Sergeant King. Sergeant Liner,
Private O'Dolnell, Private S;oiz. Private
Enke. Private Crquhart al Of Battery r.
Second Artillery. Fort Riley. Kansas
Several other soldiers were made deaf
by the explosion.
\ LADY WOUNDED.
\ lady In the hoase OF Frank Devn.
at the corner Of Grand boulevard and
jectile and badly wounded. She was taken
10 a hospital
Seven horses were killed anl three
wounded.
The battery was making pactic'
march down Grand boulevard when thr
! explosion occurred.
There IS no explanation OF tho explosion.
except what Is conIocturaL The cal,sun
| had just ratified across the Lake Shore
| railroad track on Fourth street. when the
explosion occurred inside the oaissou.
sending a hail OF projecines in All direc-
| tions Every pane of glass within Two
| blocks was broken II Is cpniecturd that
| the joltiug over the track ignited some
loose fuse. setting OF all the cartridges
in the boxes.
SHRAPNEL AND CARTRIDGES
The cllsson consisted Of lmb,is. 90
which was a carrisse containing ammu-
milton. making three chests on the Dais-
son. The explosion was in the chest on
! the limbers. and the force 0f the eVpio-
sion was - the rear. tearing away tne
| clisson and igniuug tae powder iu tae
| other twO chests The hTst chest carried
| 4! shrapnel and ~ cartridges. The shrau-
! net are loaded with percussion caps cHn-
| tanning fuiminHes and small balls. and
| are fired from the cannon by a cartridge
containing, AS i'm this case. 3t4 pounds "
! powder.
The theory of the accident H. tNat tha
| screWpMgs a. the base az the shrapu.l
! became loosenel some of tho pow irr
| leaked ont. ami being ground and pound
| hy the joitng OF the iimh"rf. ieaited tn'
! powder In the cartridges. which eNpioi"
! ami the hnitin- Of the cartridge 20 the
| other chests followed In the Second
! chest ON the caisson Wsre tw"nty-sN limo
shells sixteen shraprel. AMI their COM
/ plement Of 81 cartrilsps I'm the third
ami rear chest were foriy-two shells and
| f0rty-four cartridges.
MANY POUNDS OF POWDER
The force OF the explosion can boz more
lelIly understood when ~ IS remembered
| that the l32 cartr.lees contained ig5
/ pounds OF powder rhe men who We're in
| the detachment sail they recognized two
! distinct reports seemingly almost sinai
/ nn-ously. This was the Timber chest.
/ followed almost instantly by the other
! chests. The ra;tle of the explosions that
| followed the great d-tonat0n was The
! bursting of tha shrtpucl AS they struck
| the ground Tie uen IN the cusson
| were lifted by the explosion. while tnc
| horses were killed by The missiles from
| th. shrapuol Al # th" forty-two sErap-
mel iu tn' limher-chest exploded. while
four Of those 100 the second chest were
! found un,Apioded.