Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-19
HURT IN
 SHAM WAR
Three Soldiers Wounded In
 Battle.
FLAREBACK IN BIG GUN.

Burning Powder Isnises Charge, Ex- plodins It In Faces of New York Mi. litiamen-Disaster Occurs as Soldiers Serve Six Inch Piece In Repellins
 "Enemy's" Attack on Fort Wads.
 worth, Staten Island, Defending New York city-Priest Summoned to Ad-
 minister Last Rites of Church to the
 Sufferers.
 New York, June 19.-A bit of grim realism was thrown into the war play down at the Narrows when, through the premature explosion of a powder charge in six inch gun at Fort Wads- worth, on Staten Island, three men were injured. two of them fatally.
 The men injured are privates and members of Company Is. Ninth regi- ment. New York national guard, whose armory is on West Fourteenth street, Manhattan. The men injured are:
 George Harvey, right leg blown of, body badly injured; will die. John Walsh. one arm blown of and body burned; will die.
 John McDowell, burned about the body and face and suffering from shock; will recover
 Of the twenty men in the vicinity of the gun at the time of the accident several were thrown from their feet and slightly injured.
 Powder Explodes In Big Gun.
 The big guns had been belching forth their discharges at the imaginary fleet which was endeavoring to force it's way into the harbor, and the gunners were working under great pressure to secure a rapid rate of fire. Down at the waters edge the two six inch guns of Battery Mills were keeping pace with the firing of the rest of the fort. Suddenly there was a blinding flash and a report that shook the fortress. The score of men in the compartment were thrown violently to the ground, When the partially stunned men among them were able to rise they found three of their comrades helpless in their own blood. These men were hurried to the post hospital.
 The explosion was caused by what is commonly known as flare back Harvey had charge of the process of swabbing the gun after each discharge. It is supposed that he failed to remove all of the burning powder grains left after the previous firing. A new charge was pushed into the gun breech and the explosion followed There were thirty pounds of black powder in the charge. and the force of the explosion was terrific.
 .. Regulars Save the Day.
 Battery Mills guns are of six inch caliber, and each was being worked by detachment of about twenty men. most of them members of the Ninth national guard regiment. with sprin- kling of regulars to steady them.
 Harvey. McDowell and Walsh were in one of these attachments manning a piece behind the concrete wall down by the waters level. When the acci- dent occurred there was for a minute scene of wild confusion, the men being thrown in all directions by the force of the explosion. The regulars, with their fine discipline, however, quickly restored order, and the in jured guardsmen were given quick attention. The post ambulance was hastily called and the men rushed to the post hospital, where surgical aid was immediately available. Their con- dition was found to be so serious that Catholic priest was sent for to ad- minister the last rites of the church if, as was feared, his services should be needed.