The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-11
LIT UPBY SEARCHLlGHT
Large Crowds and Hundreds of Yachtsmen
Flock to Bristol = Horrible Tragedy
Mars Proceedings Barrel of Flash
light Powder Explodes-Boy's
Head Blown Completely Off,

| 20 minutes for the tide to get a little
| higher and then at sos Mr.. Herreshoff
gave the signal and the work of lower
| ing the boat into the water began. 1t
took about 10 minutes to get her start
ed, and at S.14 she was seen to move
There was considerable creaking at
first and one or two stops, but at S.19
she began to slide steadily, and then it
was that Mrs. Iselin dashed the bottle
of champagne against her bow and
spoke the familiar sentence: Il chris
ten thee Columbia.
AS the boat came slowly out of the
end of the shed there was a shout from
the crowd: Here she comes" Slowly
the boat moved down the railway, but
the crowd did not seem to be aware
that the Columbia was about to take
her maiden dip, until several feet of the
long overhanging stern came out clear
Of the shed. Then the place resounded
with cheers and hand-clapping.
When half the stern overhang was
clear Of the shed half dozen of the
new boats crew who were lying on her
deck, jumped to their feet and raised
a magnificent American Yacht club en-
sign and, pausing for a moment, all
lowed the strong calcium light to play
on it as the gentle breeze shook out it's
silken folds. While the eyes of the spec
LdIOIS were QFdWIl 10 Jne raising OF the
pennant, the boat was steadily rolling
down to her native element and in
about five minutes frim the time she
started practically the whole hull was
exposed to view. Then there was an
other busting on the deck, two thirds
of her length from the stern and a half
dozen men raised another staff, this
one having the white star and crescent
on a red burgee above and a red and
black burgee below, the colors of Com
modore j. Pierpont Morgan and c.
Oliver Iselin respectively.
Just as the Columbia was about half
way out of the shop, a distressing &C
cident occurred. The explosion of a can
of fiashlight powder blew off a leg and
part of the head Of Napoleon Sansouci,
aged II years, broke the legs of two
other boys George Balfour, aged 10,
and Luke Calan, aged s, and injured
several other people more or less. The
photographer who caused the accident
selected the top of a small coal shed, on
the north wharf on which to place his
camera The roof was closely packed
with adventurous boys.
Importing out the flash-light powder,
a train must have been left connect
ing the large can of explosive with
the small quantity on the camera. AS
the photographer touched the fuse he
shouted a warning, but there was no
space in which the boys could move.
A terrific explosion followed, the en-
tire shed collapsed many women on
the wharves tainted from the shock
and there was great excitement. To-
licemen pulled the injured from the
wreck and carried them to the HERES
hoff shops. Sansouci, who was sense
less, was not found for some time, as
he was covered with planks. He was
picked up and taken in a policemaL's
arms to his home nearby, where he
died in a few moments, without re
gaining consciousness. The spot where
the boy lay, resembled a shamble, so
great was the flow of blood.
The boys father is one of the car
penters who laid the Columbia's deck
The photographer was arrested. His
name is e. G.. Raining of Providence.