Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-09-12
DEADLY DYNAMITE.
A Boy Causes an Explosion by
Shooting His Rifle.
FIVE PEOPLE KILLED OUTRIGHT,


MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Sept. "A
frightful accident, resulting in the
death Of Ave persons, occurred yester-
day at Spechts ferry, small station
on the Milwaukee road. 70 miles above
Dubuque, Ia. A. Kirschner, Of Foun-
tain City, has the contract Of putting
wing dams In the river and has q large
force Of men employed. These men
boarded In q large shsnty run
by Edward Latshaw, whose homo was
In Victory, Wis Yesterday morning
Foreman c. II. Owens was passing
the building when he noticed one
Of the Latshaw boys firing . rife
near the house, which was raised
above the ground and under II
600 pounds Of dynamite was stored.
Owens pointed out the danger Of
an explosion, and the lad promised to
stop firing the gun. Owens passed
along and got about so feet whom the
gun was again fred and an explosion
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 fred the fatal shot.
The killed were Edward Latshsw,
Charity Latshsw, his wife; Ray Lat.
shaw, his son, aged l2; Mat Latshsw,
his son, aged 8; Hans Bjornstein, Of u
Crosse.
The injured were: Mabel Latshaw,
aged Is, had her skull fractured; Mat
Faber, Of Wabasha, suffered severe
contusions; Ed Bench, Of Lansing, had
his eye blown out and sustained other
severe injuries; . little girl aged s.,
standing outside, had her clothing en-.
tirely stripped from her, but was not
injured.
The scene Of the explosion is . little
hamlet containing only hotel, depot,
warehouse and a few shanties The
force Of the explosion tore hole Is
feet deep In the solid rock, wrecked
the building above II and damaged
nearly every other building in the
place. The mother, two daughters
and younger son were found In the
wrecked house.
The baby girl was lying across the
mothers dead and mutilated body cry
ing piteously for her Latshaw's.body
was found 200 yards away. His head
Is partly buried in the earth. The boy
who did the shooting was thrown over
the tops Of high trees, falling to the
earth u shapeless, unacceptable masa
Hans Bjornsten's body was found 100
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 explosion.
In Spechts hotel every window was
shattered and the building Other wise
damaged. The side Of the warehouse
caved in and a smaller building near
it was unroofed. Barges moored on
the opposite side Of the river were 30
much damaged by the conclusion that
it is feared they may sink.
ENTOMBED IN A NINE.
IlouGuroN, Mich, Sept 9-Huge
volumes Of smoke are still issuing
forth from the mouths Of shafts No. l,
2 and 8, showing that the awful fire
which started in the Osceola copper
mine shortly before noon Saturday is
still raging Aercely, and the bodies
OF the thirty miners entombed are
still lying somewhere below the sur
face, without o doubt dead, suffocated
by smoke and gas Capt P. Richards,
with gang Of seven men, went down
No. 5 shaft yesterday evening and
went about 700 feet toward No. 4 shaft,
when they had to turn and flee for their
lives, on account Of the smoke and
gas
At the time the alarm was sounded
over 200 were underground, and all
could have escaped had they used
proper precaution. Several miners In
the fight passed group Of seven OF
eight men who had stopped to rest and
were smoking their pipes. They seemed
to be in no hurry or thought Of danger
When told to hurry to the surface they
remarked that they had plenty Of time
and not one Of them was saved.
There Is no danger Of the bodies be
ing burned, as it is generally thought
the men escaped from the burning
shaft to some Of the drifts leading Il
other shafts and were overcome BY
gas and smoke before they could reacl
a place OF safety. This being the case
the bodies will be recovered as soor
as the fire is gotten under control
and the gases leave the mine. Thu
shaft has been surrounded all day b,
thousands Of people, all hoping tina
some sign or word would be gottel
from the men, but they have now al
returned to their homes, fearing tn
worst. All hope has been given up b.
the officials Of ever rescuing any Of tn
men alive.