The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1896-07-10
A Terrible Fourth OF July Accident,
From the Rutland Herald, July 6;

Woodstock, July 5,-Four;h Of
July in Bridgewater Corners, eight
miles above here, was turned into a
day OF mourning by a shocking and
terribly fatal accident in the morning,
two men being killed by the bursting
OF a cannon and IA men and boys more
or less badly injured. The dead are;
Charles Bedor, about 80 years, mar
ried, and William Cowdrey, 20 years
old, unmarried. Injured; George Lom-
bard, struck by flying stone in abdo.
men; Bert Woodward, Is years old,
leg broken and lacerated and badly
burned, will probably lose his limb;
Charles Hadley, ankle broken, ampu-
talion probably necessary; Carol
Southgate, IA years old, bad flesh
wound in right leg; r. bert Thompson,
about IA years old, leg broken and
face badly burned; Bert Hubbard, bad
flesh wound in leg and face badly
burned; Charles Sprague, flesh wound
in thigh; Harold Perkins, face burned.
Wesley Barrows, James Gokey, Will
lam Rice, Julian Robinson and Will.
lam and Edward Smith were also some-
what burned and scratched by flying
pieces of iron and stone, but their in
juries are less severe.
With the exception of Bedor, Cow.
drey and Hadley all victims were boys
from 10 to Is years. The accident oc-
Cured about 10 o'clock in front of the
new school house near Josselyn bridge,
where 30 men and boys were firing a
cannon, an old affair made from a piece
OF shatting about four inches through
and Is in length. The carelessness of
Bedor and others in charge of the can
non caused the fatal disaster. The
charge was composed of powder, damp
earth, sods and cobble stones, tamped
with steel rod, and the gun had be-
come heated by repeated discharges,
not being swabbed out at each round.
The steel rod or the hot iron premature
ly fired the piece. The explosion hurl-
ed every one within radius of so
feet to the ground, men and boys being
moved down like grass by the shower
OF stones and broken iron. The cries
of the wounded soon brought help and
everything was done to aid the injured
Bedor at the time of the explosion
was sitting on a pail containing three
or four pounds powder, and holding
the tamping rod, and his legs were
nearly blown from his tody. He
spoke a few words, but he lived
only two or three minutes. Cowdrey
was blown several feet towards the
roadside, where he lay bleeding, his
body and limbs being terribly lacerated.
He was made as comfortable as posi-
BILE, but was unable to be moved, and
ne expired in about two hours being
conscious most of the time. Hadley
had two giant crackers in bis pocket,
which exploded when he fell, bun ming
his flesh and clothes and throwing him
several feet. Young Southgate started
to run for home with a badly smashed
ankle, but fell after going about 100
yards, his clothing being on fire when
help reached him. DR.. Boyden, who
was out OF town was sent for, and ply
sicans were summoned from this place.
Drs. Boynton, Kidder and Sherwin
responding. Cowdrey was alive when
they reached the sce.e, but was past
help, aud attention was turned 10 the
other sufferers, who had been removed
to their homes, all but two or three tf
the victims residing at Bridgewater vii
lage
Bedor leaves wife and two chill
dren, now in South Royalton, who
have been notified Of tie terrible TRACE
dy. Cowdrey had no relations SO far
as known. He came from East Bar
nard and was the adopted son of Mar
tin Cowdrey. Mr.. Lombard was pass
ing the spot just before the cannon
burst and warned the men not to use a
steel rod to lamp the charge. He had
taken only few steps when the explo-
sion came and he was struck by fy-
ing stone, but not badly injured. 1t
is believed that Earl Davis the Young
son OF E. A. Davis, was standing
very near the gun when it burst, but
escaped unframed. The same cannon
was discharged prematurely on a for
mer occasion, several men narrowly es-
Gaping death.
Speaking of the fatality today, for
mer surgeon in the army said he never
saw more execution done by cannon in
all his experience in the field.
Few medicines have held their ground