The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1903-10-14
FATAL GLYCERINE EXPLOSION.
Adam Cupler, Well Known Here, Is
Blown TO Atoms.

Adam Cupler, one Of the best known
oil we'll shooters an manufacturer OF
high explosives in tho Pennsylvania oil
field, and who has done practically all OF
the we'll shooting in this vicinity within
the past few years, was instantly killed
near East Titusville about 7 o'clock on
Monday morning OF this week.
Mr.. Cupler, who had been carrying on
the business of manufacturing nitro
glycerine at Titusville in partnership
with Nelson Francis, had practically re-
tired from the business of shooting wells,
the firm having in its empty two expert
shooters, but where there were three
wells to be shot at the same time it was
his practice to take one of the wagons
himself. This vas the case Monday
morning. The other I've men were en-
gagged, one to shoot a well at Goodwill
Hill, and other at the English Settlement,
and Mr.. Cupler had started TO Fagundus
to shoot a we'll in that field for Amos
Ginger. The magazine IS situated about
a quarter of a mile from East Titusville,
and the scene of the fatality was on the
public highway three-quarters of a mile
from the magazine. At $3.50 o'clock Mr..
Cupler placed two cans OF the explosive
in the wagon. One contained eight and
the other two quarts. About 7 o'clock d.
p, Clark, a ~neighbor, heard the sound of
the explosion, and started in that direc-
ton. He met the team freed from the
wagon galloping down the road. Ashort
distance further on he found the lower
portion of the legs of Mr.. Cupler. The
force of the explosion seemed to be for
ward and upwards, as the dust in the
wagon road was scarcely disturbed. The
body had been blown through the limbs
of a large oak tree at the side of the road,
and fragments of the clothing and flesh
were hanging on the larger limbs. There
was not a piece left of wagon box larger
than the palm of a mans hand. The
spokes had been ripped out OF he rim
and the TX lie was bent in a crescent shape.
The body was found eighty feet away,
having been blown forward and a little
to n side Of the wagon road. The back
and neck were broken and the back had
been cut open from between the shoulder
blades to the small of the back, and the
internal organs were exposed. One arm
was twisted until it WIS a shapeless mass,
hanging by shreds of the skin and sin
ews.
Mr.. Clark covered the body with a
blanket and teiephoned the news of the
tragedy to Titusville. The body was
taken in charge and removed to the un-
dertaking rooms of A. X. Brown, Titus
vile, where it wBs prepared for burial.
The u of the explosion is thought
to have been due to friction, the fault of
leaky nitro. glycerine cans permitting
some of the explosive to escape, which in
turn may have got under the vessels, and
when the wheels of the wagon struck a
plank which lay in the road where the
accident occurred, precipitated the trag-
edy.
Mr.. Cupler was born at Big Run, JEFF
ierson county, Pa, April 2, lS47, and was
married 20 years ago. He is survived by
his widow and !our children, Mrs. Clar-
ence Mosher and Harry, Grace and Lulu,
all of Titusville. Mrs. Cupler and her
married daughter had been at Warren Wis
iting friends, and were at the station
about to leave for Titusville when they
were informed of the accident.
Deceased was a member of the A. o. u.
W. and Masonic iraternities, and was be-
yond question one of the most popular
residents of Titusville, if not in the en-
tire local oil field