Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-09-16
CAISSON BLOWS UP.
Shocking Accident Mars the G. A.
r. Encampment at
Louisville.

| accident resulting in the death of six
and the wounding of several members
of the Louisville legion occurred shortly
after. $50 this morning by the explosion
of a caisson.
The dead ares s-s-.-,-.,.--. .s,se.
CORP. Al. ROBINSON.
PRIVATE CHARLES BIECHNER.
| PRIVATE A. M'BRIDE.
| DRIVER w. ADAMS (colored)
| The wounded:
Sergt. Fred Conn.
| Private E. E. William Hobbs.
| All the. men excepting the colored
/ driver were members of Battery A of the
Kentucky National guard and all reside
in Louisville. "".
Where the Accident Occurred.
he accident occurred on Broadway
| between Third and Fourth Streets where
the First Kentucky artillery were sta
toned for the purpose of firing the
morning salute. #.-.... .-
Rye witnesses to the shocking accident
say that the explosion was caused by
| the dropping of friction primer into
| the caissOn.
AS soon as the accident occurred the
city ambulance was called, and the
! wounded men were taken to the Norton
1ntirmary, where their injuries were at
tended to. Il is feared that Fred Cohn
! will die. The whole left side of his
face was blown off. Even if he should
recover ne will be blind and horribly
dishgured. Hobbs was badly burned
about the face. and bruised. The place
where the accident occurred is one of
the finest resident districts in the city.
| Fortunately few people were on the
street, owing to the early hour, or the
list OF killed and injured would have
undoubtedly been greatly increased.
Every window in the block was blown
out. Nearly every one in the neighbor-
hood was asleep and the noise and CON
cussion caused by the explosion almost
created panic. Half clad men and ter
rlhed women came running from their
homes, and most horrible sight met
their eyes. The body of the colored
driver, mangled almost beyond recogni-
| ton, fell on the front porch of a resi-
dence fully 300 feet from the place
where the explosion occurred. Just out
side the fence and on the sidewalk was
the, body of Private Woods. Bits of
! flesh and pieces of bloody uniform were
scattered all along the street, clingng
to the treetops and in the shattered win
| dows. leg was found on Third street
a block from where the explosion tool,
place. It must have been blown clear
over three-story and basement house
| Several mangled legs and arms were
| found on the tops of adjacent houses
| Shocking Scenes.
1t is believed that the body of Private
! Hutchins was blown to pieces as it has
not yet been found. A hook and ladder
truck Of the city fire department. was
called and, with ladders. every housetop
in the. vicinity was searched in vain for
| the missing body. But on nearly every
housetop was found portions of the bod
| les of the unfortunate young men. The
| body of Howard Irwin was so badly
mangled that it was almost impossible
to gather it up without a shovel. 1t was
! found at the intersection of Broadway
and Fourth street, almost a block away.
/ The battery was on its way to Phoenix
| hill for the purpose of firing a salute of
| forty-four guns. There were sixty-six
pounds of powder in the caisson.
. Richard C0gan, who was about two
| blocks from the caisson when it blew up,
said the noise made was terrific. The
conclusion was so great that the build
! ingS even at that distance were shaken
| and in several houses around him win>
dows were shattered. He FASTENED to
the scene at once and lent helping hand
| in gathering up the remains of the dead
| militia men. * +''s'
In few minutes everyone in the neigh,
borhood was out. Many women, said
| Mr.. Cogan. tainted as soon as they came
out, the sight was so horrible.
In a short time news of the disaster
| had spread over the entire city. Bull
letins were posted at all the newspaper
offices and in several Of the public build-
ings, giving the names of the dead and
injured. The accident has cast a shaG-
ow of gloom over the city. Everyone
had been prepared for grand and joy
Gus event. The tens of thousands OF
visitors who thronged the streets and
hotels of the town were everywhere
| heard to express their sorrow.
| 1t is doubtful if there ever occurred in
this region before an accident that caused
such widespread sorrow: The regiment
! to which the young men belonged is made
up of the pick and flower of Louisville,
Many of them are society leaders and
are of wealthy families.
Capt. Castlcman's Statement.
Capt. David Castleman, who was in
| charge, was riding at the side of the de-
tail and was uninjured. The report that
one of the men was smoking is denied
| by Capt CasIleman.
Col. Joe B. Castleman of the First in
fantry, to which Battery A belongs, said
it was one of those unfortunate acct
| dents that cannot be guarded against
A similar one occurred i'll Chicago dur
ing the strike, in which four men were
killed and several wounded. Gov John
| Young Brown, who was stopping with
! Mai. 8. Easton, was asleep in bed. The
explosion stunned him and it was some
time before lie could realize what had
happened All the furniture in the hall
was damaged by the explosion. The
| explosion shook all the leaves off a tree
in the front yard.
Daniel F. Reidhae lives next to Judge
Easton's house. Every window was
broken in the house and several persons
were badly stunned. e. w. McMannon,
who lives at the corner Of Fourth and
Broadway, describes the accident as fol.
lows: II was attending to the wants of
my G. A. R. boarders when the. explo-
| sion occurred l thought the world had
come to an end. Several people in the
house were knocked down and one was
slightly bruised. | assisted in clearing
away the debris. One foot was found in
! an alley in the rear of this house. \
leg was found in the front yard. The
mangled remains of the man lying be-
tween the car tracks at Fourth and
Broadway were terrible to gaze upon"
The explosion was heard for several
miles distant Crowds of people gath
cred on the scene to view the terrible
disaster. They were kept back, how
! ever, by a special detail of soldiers and
police. No one was admitted within the
| intersection of Third and Fourth streets.
| On oil SidaS oycla m tiODS (omopfinp tho