The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-09-04
DYNAMITE LET'S 90 PREMATURE
LY MONDAY FORMING.
Two lien Badly Injured at the Cement
Works Early rlOnday. Peter
Peterson Cannot Survive, and JOS
eph Lewis fiaS Miraculous escape
They Had Been Instructed to Use
Powder, But They Wanted to Yet
Along Faster.

nresent management at the cement
works occurred this morning shortly
before five O'Clock. The n1ghG shlI6
of men had almost completed their
work in the deep tunnels scOoped out
in the river bluff by the removal Oh
the cement. rock. The left hand tun-
mel extends back about hundred and
fifty feet, dark and Shiny in the day
time, but perfectly lighted by mean
descent electric lights at night, 1ur-
nished by dynamo in the power
house. At the rear of this tunnel,
Joe Lewis and Peter Peterson were at
work placing a charge OF gun powder
in a number of holes, all connected
with a wire from an electric battery.
Manager Carney permits dyna-
mite to be used in blasting out the
lower or floor ledge of rock, but has
given strict instructions that only
powder shall be used on the three
upper lodges, and it was on one OF
these that the two men were at WORK.
They had the powder all placed ana
tamped in with clay, and only corner
of rock remained Thinking to hurry
their work, they broke stick OF dyna-
mite and tamped that into hole at
this corner, preparatory to attaching
the wire. While they were still lamp
ing this into the hole, it suddenly ex-
ploded, throwing out several pieces
of rock.
The two men had been singing
nearly all night, and their fellow
workmen in distant drift heard the
exnlosion and later heard man call
ing for help. They ran over into the
tunnel to see what the matter was
and found Peterson lying on the rocks
unconscious and bleeding profusely
from wounds in the head, while Lewis
was CROPPING his way around the sides
of the tunnel in search of Peterson.
He was blinded and was bleeding
from cuts and bruises about his head.
Night Waterman Lowrey was notl-
fed and at once drove to the city and
secured DR.. Davis, who was on the
ground forty minutes after tue accl-
dent occurred. Manager Carney was
also notified and went out. The two
men were removed from the tunnel
and their wounds attended to. 1t was
found Peterson's skull was badly frac-
tured and that the brain was oozing
out. He did not return to conscious
ness. Both men were later taken TO
the Tourtellotte hospital.
Peterson is about twenty-four years
old and has been at work In the
cement stone quarry about two
months. He is unmarried, but has
relatives in Iowa.
Lewis is somewhat older and has
family. He lives near the tub FAC
tory, and has been in the employ OF
the cement company for several years.
Both are blasters, and are experienced
at the work.
When FREE PRESS reporter visited
the cement works this morning, he
was shown through the underground
excavations, and by the dim flicker OF
a gasoline light could see the copious
blood stains where the men were
thrown down by the force OF the eX-
plosion, and the bloody finger marks
made on the sides of the tunnel by
Lewis in his search for Peterson. 1t
was Lewis shouting that caused the
other workmen to come. 1t is great
wonder that both men were not in
stantly killed by the rock which was
moved by the force of the explosion,
as they stood within three feet OF the
place where the dynamite went
off. 1t was about on level with
their faces, which accounts for the
wounds being mainly on their heads
In sending off the charges of pow
der or dynamite, the wire from the
electric battery is attached to caps,
and the men retire to safe distance
before the current is turned on. This
is the first premature explosion to oc-
cur, and it is thought that in lamp
ing the dynamite stick not enough
clay was used or that piece of rock
hit the stick. An old blaster told the
reporter that a slight jar will send
off the dynamite, and that great care
has to be taken in tamping. Holes
are drilled three feet deep, a stick or
powder is put at the far end, and clay
is tamped into the hole TO fill it.
Peterson was still alive this after
noon and resting comfortably, but If
he RECEIVERS it will be almost mir
acle. Lewis is doing nicely and is eX-
pected toreco> er unless complications
set in. Whether be will recover his
eyesight is still uncertain.
We acknowledge the receipt Of a
COMPLIMENTARY ticket tn the lp