The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-31

IN make and Of the latest pattern. being
comparatively a new cannon Some would
lay IL 70 the carelessness OF the boys
handling ii. but most are Of the opinion
that It was Just an accident. The two
guns we're fred each every minute. which
is decided as plenty long enough TO make
il safe from heat The cannons were
fired alternately. thus making a shot
every thirty seconds A pound and 8
quarter OF powder was Use dat each
charge. E quarter Of pound less than
the regulation. This smaller charge was
used Tor fear OF the regulation smashing
windows In the business district The
powder Is in canvas sacks. and the
smaller charge being used IN this sack is
believed TO have been the cause Of the
premature explosion
When VIII AIexander'z wounds were
dressed and he had partly survived. he
vas asked:
DO you remember anything about the
explosion al allz"
Why, yes. he replied. IT remember
everything It was this way: I had Just
raEamsd the charge IN. and being SO loose
n the sack It went up into the gun
farther than It ought 70. Halter. evident
j. thinking that the explosion OF the cap
would not reach II up there. reached in
= pull II back. Then the explosion hap
peEed and I was knocked down
Were you ramning Il when the
charge went on?''
NO. Certainly not, for II l had been,
know where both my arms would have
been now
Il is figured ont IN Private AIexander's
account OF the explosion that a spark still
in the gun after cleaning igrited the
charge. Corporal Halter. II wiping the
breach out, did not reach up very far,
II AT all, into the barrel OF the cannon.
Is his hand could not force Itself into the
orening- A spark Up just beyond the
place he cleaned may have laid there for
3 minute. and had not the loose sack Of
powder reached II. have died OUT
DR.. W. W Minick. a major Of the Kan
sas National Guards. was present and
helped care for the injured He and Dr.
Fred Williams stopped the flow Of blood
from Hstter's arm and saw that all were
taken care OF.
DIT. Minick said to a reporter for the
Eagle:
i was standing just behind and a little
u the right OF the gun when the ex-
plosien occurred. Private Davis was
right behind the gun, while Alexander
and Mitts stood on the right side OF it.
Halter was on the other side, but IN some
way seems to have protected Davis from
death I do not remember OF seeing
what happened Just before the charge ex-
LrFr rsFhto Z T.
first stagger forward and then fail back.
His cap was shot high into the air.
Davis went down like a rock, but was
W in a second. Some say be didn't fall,
but know he did he was simply crazy
With pain and practically blinded He
was hardly on his feet, when ne started
70 run McNaughten caught him and he
vas taken over to the depot. Alexander
and Mitts we're both pretty badly Injured,
and I think were both knocked down I
a. once got over 70 where Halter lay and
found him unconscious, but breathing
Somebody got a stick and with a piece
Of wiping rag. we managed TO stop the
blood from flowing. The shock was terri
bic on him. and If Il had struck his left
side. the result would have been immedi-
ateIy fatal. Besides. his lost arm and
powder burns on his face, he was not
otherwise injured His side was not torn
away. as reported
The cause Of the explosion, I do not
know At first I thought that probably
in ramming the shot down. the loose
charge had allowed a little bit OF the
powder 10 collect against the sharp edge
of the breech and had thus become is-
nited, but Rammer Aiexanders account
dispelIs this idea Some OF the boys de-
clare that the ramming rod was shot
across the river, as one is missing from
the carriage, while others explain the
shortage OF one rod, saying that II was
never brought along.
The heat could not have ignited the
powder under natural laws. for one min
Ute is considered enough time for the
gun TO cool on. II seems to ne that the
loose sack must have been rsmned up
into the gun until it reached a live spark
that had not been wiped out by Halter
1t seems that he put his hand in TO pull
* back. so that the cap would reach II.
and the explosion occurred.
I amputsted Hatter's arm just above
the elbow. How seriously he IS hurt.
We cannot tell yet. don't believe Davis
viii lose his eyes. as at first thought"
Roy Game. chief Of the first section. was
standing aside with Rasson WycofI. chief
or the second section. when the accident
He said 20 a reporter:
"WycoT and ! were standing at the side
Continued on Third Pagel