The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-17

blinds of the front windows torn to pieces.
At the home OF Maurice q. Dodge, No. 1928
Grand boulevard, th. loss was about 500
work around the rooms. The house OF +.
ii. Howe, at No. 1891 Grand boulevard,
one of the buildings mostly damaged.
His loss is estimated at 5000. The house
OF A. Devlin. at No. 1898 Grand boulevard.
was damaged about $1,000. One of the iron
shells struck the balcony rail and lodged
there.
AN OFFICIAL ACCOUNT.
General Miles directed Captain Michler
and Colonel WiIletson, of the commissary
department, and former commander of
the battery, to go TO the scene of the ac-
cident and secure a report of the affair.
On the return of Colonel Willetson, he
gave the following verbal account of the
accident preparatory to writing his re-
port: 'The command. under the escort of
the cavalry. was taking it's daily march
exercise. The caisson consists of a limber
on which is a chest, and the carriage, con-
tanning two chests more of ammunition
making three chests on the caisson. The
explosion occurred in the cnest of the linn
ber, and the force of the explosion to
the rear, tearing away the caisson and
fgniting the powder in the other two chests.
The first caissOn carried forty-two shrap-
mel and forty-fOur cartridges. The shrap-
mel are loaded with percussion shells. con-
tanning Eliminates and small balls, and are
fired from the cannon by a cartridge
tanning, as in this case, three and three
quarter 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
Timber, ignited. the powder in the cart
ridges exploded and the ignition of the
cartridges in the other two chests fol-
lowed. In the second chest on the caisson
were twenty-siX time shells, sixteen shrap-
mel and their complement of forty-four
cartridges; in the third and rear chests
fort -fxr~r. Chn aVa6
ridges. The force of the explosion can be
more readily understood when it is remem-
bered that the 132 cartridges contained 495
pounds of powder. The men who were in
the detachment said that they recognized
two distinct reports seemingly almost sim
ultaneous. This was the timber chest, fol-
lowed almost in the instant by the other
two chests. The rattle of explosions that
followed the great detonations the
bursting of the shrapnel as they struck the
ground. The men on the caisson were lifted
by the explosion, while the horses were
killed by the missiles from the shrapnel
All of the forty-two shrapnel in the timber
chest exploded while four of the sixteen
in the second chest were found unexploded
None OF the shells exploded. They do not
contain any illuminate, and are fired by
II take no stock in the theory that dy-
Mantle had anything to do with it. The
greatest caution is always taken about the
ammunition. Each chest is locked by
Yale lock. specially made for the govern
ment. There are no keys in any battery
IIdl VIII UNLOCK any out the cheSt to
which it belongs, and / do not believe there
is key in Chicago that will unlock any of
our artillery chests. The ammunition is
most carefully packed under the supervision
of an officer. Every day it is examined
This caisson was inspected last evening
All the shrapnel were looked after and
the screw plugs examined and frightened. 1
have recollection of a similar accident
in the United States artillery, and il is the
first on record so far as can learn. The
guns were the new rifled field pieces, re-
Gently 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 light trot on the
smooth street road in Chicago the explo-
sion took place.
Fred Stolz, of the Second Artillery, died
tonight. He was terribly burned and
bruised by the explosion.