The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-31
To Investigate the Cause Of the
Cannon Explosion Which In
jured Many Militiamen.
NEW THEORY OF ACCIDENT.
Uncovered Ramrod May Have Il
nited Powder by Friction
Wonderful FOrtitude of In
iured Men-All Alive.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Camp Lincoln. Near Springfield, Ill. July
So.-A Board Of Inquiry was this morning
appointed by Colonel Young to thoroughly
| investigate and make a report upon the
deplorable accident OF yesterday afternoon.
The court is composed as follows:
Captain Frank H. Hamilton. comma nding
! the engineering company OF Springfield.
/ president.
| Lieutenant John F. Hamilton of Battery
! Il o, GalesburC.
| Lieutenant Il. NJ. Chipperfield Of the First
| Cavalry. Canton.
| Lieutenant u. n. Williams. commanding
/ the Chicago detachment OF the Signal
Corps. recorder OF the court.
! Colonel Young paid Captain Hamilton a
| high honor when he made him president Of
\ the court. Captain Hamilton was selected
| after careful consideration by Colonel
1 Young on account OF his thorough under
| standing of explosives. he being a prac-
| teal civil engineer and al present the city
| engineer Of Springfield. In addition. Colonel
Young recognized the fact. when appoint
| ing Captain Hamilton president of the
court. that the latter could not be coerced.
and that under his direction thorough IN
vestigation would result.
| Colonel Young exercised great care in
| naming the members of the court-one
member being chosen from each orsaniza-
! ton IN camp. Lieutenant Chipperiield is
| LAWYER. and for that reason he was named
from the cavalry.
Courts First Meeting.
The court met at o'clock this afternoon
| and began its work. 1t will sit without
| hours and the sessions will be secret. IL
| is expected that the finding will be made
before the weeks encampment is conclud-
| ed and, as soon as The report is made TO
| Colonel Young. he will make 1t public.
Every person known TO have been present
I at the time of the explosion Will be sum-
moned to appear before the court as wit
ness Al who were injured viii also give
testimony.
| Colonel Young stated to-day that he did
| not care to discuss the probable finding OF
| the court. fearing that an opinion expressed
by him might carry some weight with the
members of the court In making their re-
port. Colonel Young. however. insists that
everything possible be done to ascertain
| the cause of the explosion. believing that
| the gravity Of the affair demands that all
| details be given to the public III the ac-
cident was due to the throwing OF a Gig
| arctic by some person. Colonel Young says
| the friends and relatives of the MANNED
| and injured should know 1t. or IL due to
| any other cause they should know IL.
BaIxIey and Rupert stiII Alive.
| Corporal Charles Balsley and Commissary
| Jesse Rupert of Battery A. the two men be-
lieved to be fatally IL iUred. were alive to-
night, having passed more comfortable
day than could be expected, considering the
| seriousness of their wounds. Rupert, who
| last night seemed to be the worst injured.
| appeared much better to-day than his com
| rade. Balsley. Both men are literally torn
| to pieces from their waists to their head.
| Both are bearing their suiferings with a
| fortitude that Is most surprising.
| The attending physicians declare that Ru-
pert's strong constitution and will power
| are responsible for the fact that he Is alive.
| To one who has not seen him at St Johns
Hospital II IL impossible to describe the
| hearty pleasant manner In which he bears
| his pain. His go pounds, almost obscured
| from sight by a mass of bandages. In which
his entire body is encased. and with barely
! enough eyesight to dimly discern only the
| closest objects, he laughs and Jokes with
| those attending him. and declares that he
would lie all right II he could only get up
and walk around
1t is different with Balsley. who while
| bearing his injuries with great fortitude. is
unable to talk. one of his eyes seems en-
| tirciy gone. only a red. burned place being
visible where It ought to be. The sight of
| the other Ia at this time baby impaired. He
| is a mass of burns from his head to his
| waist and the flesh Is badly torn all over
/ his body.
| other Victims Are Worse.
Private Edward Smoot. Battery A. of
BanviIle; Private Charles Sharp of the Chi
| cago detachment of the Signal Corps. and
| Harry Keebler. the H-year-old boy OF
| Springfield, all OF whom were taken to the
| hospital, are not I'm such good condition to-
| day Private Sharp of the Signal Corps is
| burned much worse than was at first an
| ticipated.
In the cases OF Rupert. Balsley and Sharp
| blood poisoning Is feared by the physicians.
| The poisonous powder entered their bodies
| at so many places that II is thought to
| have assimilated throughout their entire
| system. At this time 1t seems probable that
| the eyesisht OF the Keebler boy Is entirely
destroyed.
The accident Of yesterday has been the
| only topic Of discussion at camp to-day.
| when the men were not engaged with their
duties The news of the explosion spread
| through Springfield last evening. and until
q late hour at night great crowds kept
| coming to camp, hoping TO satisfy morbid
| curiosity by getting glimpse of the in
jured men When informed that the men had
been sent to the hospital in Springfield and
| could not be seen. many of the people in
| the crowd were greatly disappointed.
New Theory of the Accident.
The ramrod with which the powder was
being forced into the cannon at the time of
| the explosion vas picked up I'm splintered
pieces some distance from the cannon. The
| ramrod is a crude piece of work. having
| a large knob on the end Of 1t. which is
| usually inserted into the gun. Ordinarily
| this knob Is covered with sheepskin, to
| prevent any friction, but the ramrod used
| " terday had no such covering.
| The theory that the explosion was cause
| by friction from this rod Is gradually gain
| ing ground. The ramrod did very well with
| out a covering so long as the sack contain
| ing the charge Of powder remained unbrok-
! en-, but, with this sack broken and the
| powder scattered loosely about the mouth
| and barrel of the cannon. the rod working
| back and forth over It. the claim is made
| that IT is but an easy matter to cause
| friction enough to make a spark which
| could have ignited the charge.
Green Horses Cut Up at Parade.
Considerable difficulty was occasioned
| among the horsemen last night while on
dress parade on account Of the green condi-
| ton of the horses. Calls were misunder-
| stood. and only the quick action OF several
| officers prevented a general mix-up upon the
| parade ground. To-day Colonel Young
| called all his officers about him and the
| parade regulations and drill were dis
cussed at length I'm order to prevent future
| mistakes
The various organizations In camp began
| active work in their different branches of
| the service this morning. The cavalry