The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-09-09
Five People Killed and Three Fatally
Hprt Through careIessness of a
Boy shooting at n Mark.
HAMLET WRECKED
FOUR-YEAR-OLD BABE FOUND UN-
HURT ON ITS MOTHERS BODY.
Sound of the Explosion Heard Twelve
Miles Distant and Boats Across
the River Damaged.

MINNEAPOLIS, MIMI, Sept. S-A fright
full accident, resulting In the death of five
persons, occurred to-day at Specht's Ferry,
a small station on the Milwaukee road,
twelve miles above Dubuque, Ia. A. Kirch-
ner, of Fountain City, has the contract of
putting wing dams in the river and has
a large force of men employed. These
men boarded in a large shanty run by
Edward Latshaw, whose home is in Vic
tory. Wis. This morning foreman c. III.
owens was passing the boarding house
when he noticed of the Latshaw boys
firing rifle near the house, which was
raised from the ground and under it a
large amount OF dynamite. Owens pointed
out the danger of an explosion and the lad
promised to stop firing the gum Owens
passed along and had got about fifty feet
when the gun was again fired and an ex-
plosion of dynamite followed. There were
seven persons in the building. which was
blown to atoms. OF the seven, four were
killed, also the boy outside. who fired the
fatal shot. The killed were:
EDWARD LATSHAW.
CHARITY LATSHAW, his wife.
RAY LATSHAW. his son. aged twelve.
MAT LATSHAW, his son, aged eight.
HANS BJORNDEN. of Lacrosse.
The injured were:
MABEL LATSHAw, aged eleven. had her
EDWARD BENCH. of Lansing. had his
eye blown out and sustained other severe
injuries.
severe contusions.
LITTLE GIRL, aged five, standing out
side. had her clothing entirely stripped
from her, but was not Injured.
Word was telegraphed 20 Dubuque. and
in a short time doctors were a special
10 ,l,a oil in
thirteen minutes. The injured were taken
to the city and paced in a hospital. 1t is
thought one of the men and the girl will
recover. The scene of the explosion is a
little hamlet containing a hotel, depot,
warehouse and only few shanties. The
force of the explosion tore a hole fifteen
feet deep in the solid rock. wrecked the
building above it and damaged nearly ev-
cry other building in the place. The moth
er. two daughters and younger son were
found in the wrecked house. the baby
girl lying across her mothers dead and
mutilated body. crying piteously for her.
Latshaw's body was found 200 yards away,
his head partly buried in the earth. The
boy who did the shooting was thrown over
the tops of a high tree. failing to the
Hans Bjorden's body was found a hundred
feet from the building, every bone broken
and his body. bruised and blackened. The
mothers head was crushed to jelly while
her body bore no marks of the terrific ex-
plosion.
In Specht's Hotel evey window was shat
tered and the building otherwise damaged.
The side of the warehouse caved in, and a
smaller building near IL was unroofed.
Barges moored on the opposite side of the
river were so much damaged by the con-
cussion that It Is feared they may sink.
The hamlet has every appearance of De-
ing swept by a cyclone, there being scarce
lv a soiInd hrlding left The noise of the
explosion was heard at Plattsville, Wis,
ten miles away, and parties six miles up
the river thought a steamboat had burst
her boilers.
Every boat and train that could be had
was busy carrying people to the scene
The wounded people in hospitals here are
doing well tonight. The bodies of the dead
were taken to Dubuque tonight.