The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-28
MANGLED.
Shocking and Serious Accident
in Col. Rafferty's Command.
Caiss0n Upsets Turing Drill
Crushing Two Men.
BOTH BADLY HURT
Flum and Brooks Dragged &c
Feet Under the CaiSSOn.
Surgeons Do All That is Posi-
BILE for the Men.

This morning at 9 o'clock Light Bat
terry B of the 4th artillery from Fort
Riley under command of Capt. Riley
were ordered out for drill and in less
than five minutes from the time the
first order was given on the field two
men were lying bleeding and mangled
and four others narrowly escaped
death. The battery was going at
gallop across the quarter-stretch when
the order was given to counter
march,"
The trumpeter sounded the call and
the guns and caissons wheeled and
started back in the direction they came
all but one. Caisson No. 4 with six
men on the seats suddenly lurched and
the two wheels to the north went up
when the heavy caisson was lifted so
an instant and then went over in a
heap with privates Flum and Brooks
underneath. The other four men
jumped and We're not injured. Flum
was dragged about 20 feet before the
riders managed to stop the horses and
when the heavy ciasson was lifted so
that he could be removed to all ap-
pearanceS he was dead. Brooks was
delirious and with blood running from
his mouth and nose and from the cuts
on his head, breast, face and hands
he kept calling for Bob Rippell'' and
asked the gunners to lift the caisson
off of him long after it had been lifted
Off
Maj. Anderson of the End Reg. K. N
G. was on the spot and all that was
possible was done for the injured men
In few minutes the ambulance ar
rived and the two men were lifted in
fa1 70 ho fol
their wounds were dressed. Brooks
had a confusion on the left side of his
head, his right hand was cut open half
way back to the wrist and the left side
of his face was cut from the eye to the
ear. The scalp on the back of his
head received a cut about four inches
long. his breast was scratched and
bleeding.
The army surgeon from Fort Riley
was not in the camp and Maj. Arm
strong, with the assistance of the U. s.
Hospital corps, Sewed up the cuts and
administered to the needs of the injured
men F1um was in a dazed condition
and lay quietly but every movement
was certain to bring groans to the lips
of Brooks: Flum is injured about the
head but the skull is not broken.
Capt. Anderson came to the tent as
soon as drill was over and when he
found that both the men would likely
recover he was much relieved.
In speaking of the accident Capt An
derson said For the II years that I
have been drilling batteries this is the
first accident that has happened to
anyone under my command. 1t was
caused by the wheel of the caisson
running into a hole just as the turn was
made. The turn was a little sharp
and the pace a little fast. The two
men should have jumped like the 9TH
ers." A Journal reporter was an eye
witness to the accident and agrees with
Capt. Anderson in saying the two men
should have jumped but how could
they? 1t was all done in an instant
and it was partly by being thrown and
partly by a lucky jump that the other
four were not caught in the wreck
One wheel and the tongue and several
braces of the caisson were broken into
kindling wood