San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-09-11
BLOWN OVER HOUSEHOLDS
YOUNG MILITIA ARTILLERYMBN
KILLED IN LOUISVILLE.
While saluting the g. A. r. Vet
eran Encampment a Powder
Magazine Explodes With
Awful Force.

LOUISVILLE, KY, Sept. ia
horrible accident, resulting in the
death of seven and wounding of
several members of the Louisville
Legion, occurred shortly after 3 80
O'clock this morning by the explo-
sion of a caisson. The dead are:
Corporal al. Robinson, Privates
Charles Oesterich, Charles Woods,
Mcbride, Hutchins, Howard Irwin
and the driver, VIM. Adams, (col-
ored). The wounded are: Fred.
Cohen, eyes and face badly burned,
and VIM. Hobbs.
The accident occurred on Broad
way, between Third and Fourth
streets, where the First Kentucky
artillery was stationed for the pur-
pose of firing the morning salute.
Eye witnesses TO the shocking ac-
cident say the explosion was
caused by the dropping of the Gals
son cover on the friction primer.
Two bodies We're thrown over the
house tops and were horribly man.
gled. The wounded have been re-
moved to hospitals. Two horses,
attached to the caisson, were so
horribly mangled that they had to
be killed. All killed were men,
bers of the First Kentucky artille-
nv, of Louisville, considered the
first in the state.
AS soon as the accident occurred
the city ambulance was called and
the wounded men taken to the
Morton infirmary, where their in
juries were attended to. 1t is
feared Fred. Cohen will die. The
whole left side of his face was
blown off. Even if he should re-
cover he will be blind and horribly
disfigured. Hobbs was badly
burned about the face and
bruised.
The place where the accident oc-
Cured was one of the finest resi-
dence districts in the city. For
tunately few people were on the
street, owing to the early hour, or
the list of killed and injured would
undoubtedly be greatly increased.
Every window in the block was
blown out. Nearly everyone in
the neighborhood were asleep and
the noise and conclusion caused
by the explosion almost created
panic.
The body of the colored driver,
mangled almost beyond recogni-
tion, fell on the front porch of a res
sidence fully 300 feet from the
place where the explosion oc-
Cured.
Just outside the fence and on
the sidewalk was the body of Pri-
vate Woods. Bits of flesh and
pieces of bloody uniform were
scattered all along the street,
clinging to tree tops and in shat
tered windows. A leg and half a
coat was found on Third street,
one block south of where the ex-
plosion took place. They must
have been blown clear over a three
story and basement house. Sew
eral mangled legs and arms were
found on the tops of adjacent
houses. 1t is believed the body of
Private Hutchins was blown to
pieces, as it has not yet been
found. The body of Howard r.
win was so badly mangled that it
was almost impossible to gather
it up without shovel. 1t was
found at the intersection of Broad
way and Fourth streets, almost a
block away. There were siXty-six
pounds of powder in the caisson.
1t is doubtful if there ever oc-
Cured in this regioy an accident
that caused such Widespread sor-
row. The regiment to which the
young men belonged is made up of
the pick and flower of Louisville.
Many of them were society leaders
and of wealthy families. Captain
David Castlemen, who was in
charge, riding at side of the de-
tail, escaped injury. Col. Joe b.
Castelman, First infantry to which
battery "a" belongs, said it was
one of those unfortunate accidents
that cannot be guarded against.
The explosion was heard for sever
al miles distant. Crowds OF people
gathered at the scene to view the
terrible disaster, but they were
kept back by a special detail OF
soldiers and police.