The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-11-28

A terrible tragedy was enacted In real
life yesterday afternoon at o'clock.
in the Industrial town Of Lazearville, In
Brooke county, about two miles above
Wellsburg. in which four young lives
were lost and twelve boys. ranging in
age from nine to twenty years. were In
jured, some seriously and others Sc
TO the long roll OF tragedies IL which
the dread explosive nttro-glycerine has
played the leading part. as
a crowd of about twenty-five young
men and boys had gathered on the river
bank at Lazearvllle during the after
noon, watching the progress Of the flood
and had built 4 large FIRE. using tho
drittwood that lines the waters edge
for fuel. In the drift wood. one of the
boys picked UP can filled with some
unknown substance. and this was
thrown upon the fire. Immediately
there was terrific explosion. the de-
brls flying in every direction and strik-
ing down every one OF the score or mora
OF boys gathered around the fire. Har-
mon Finley. the thirtecn-year-old son
OF Widow Finley. was killed instantly.
his brains being blown out. 1t is
thought he Is the boy who threw tho
can of deadly nitro into the flames.
| Villa Davis, n!np-ycar-o Bon
Of Mrs. II. C. Moore. was thrown con-
l,,,4 hn 1f thu
explosion and his neck broken. causing
instant death. Robert Finley. aged
twenty-on years. a brother OF Harmon.
received such severe Injuries that death
ensued at o'clock last night. VIII
Nungle and VIII Blackburn. son OF
Prather Blackburn. were terribly in-
jured. and It is feared both will die.
The other injured boys, who, without
exception 1t Is believed, will recover.
are: Wesley Cusick james Jones, Theo-
dore Gilchrist and Alex Gilchrist (sons
of Alexander GIlchr!st, the LaZearvillo
coal .operntor), Charles Thomas. Ralph
Hahn, Thomas Kinney. John Bone, and
John Webb, all boys. ranging in ago
between nine and twenty years.
The news Of the explosion spread
through Lazparville with wonderful
rnpldity, and hundreds were attracted
TO the scene. A hurry call was sent to
Wellsburg for physicians, ntarly all In
the town responding on the run. Tho
injured boys were taken to their homes.
and everything possible was done by
physicians and relatives.
The bodies OF tho two boys. Harmon
Finley and Willie Davis. were taken to
their homes, where the scene was one Of
most bitter grief. Mrs. Finley Ia poor
woman, who depended upon her two
boys for support, and with one dead
and the other dreadfuiiy injured and
dying few hours later. the case Is In
deed one to arouse the sympathy OF tho
community. Harmon Finley was en-
pl0yrd at the Frank glass house In La
aeurville, ana had just left tho works.
nrst stopping nt his home. where he
Eave his mother the check for his weak
" wage, and then went to the river
bank and Joined the crowd OF boys who
were watching the rising river. Fifteen
minutes from the time he left his work
at the glass house he was dead.
The shock Of the explosion. 1t Is as
serted, was the cause of the death OF
the Infant child OF Mrs. Durlg, who
lives IN house only short distance
from the scene OF the tragedy. The
child has been III for several days, and
died from the effects OF the shock, which
broke the glass in many houses in the
vicinity,
There Is Il tradition that years ago a
skin containing n cargo uf ntro-glyccr-
Inc, intended for the lower oil fields.
sank opposite Lazcarvlllc. For Il long
time steamboats, would not land In the
vicinity. 1, is supposed the can that
figured In yesterdays tragedy was a
part OF this cargo.
The injured boys had eyes torn out,
noses cut and fractured. arms laeer-
ated and bodies bruised.