The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-02-16
PLAY WITH DEATH
Men Who Are Reckless In Han
ding High Explosives.
STORIES By HUDSON MAXIM.

SIUnIeS 01 nUUSUN MANIM.
The Accident by Which the Inventors
Left Hand Was Blown Off-John Ben
der's Contempt For Dynamite-Mix-
ing Fire and Nitrogiycerin.
1T Is practically impossible" writes
Hudson Maxim in Adventure, Ito |
make the ordinary laboring man ap-
preciate the necessity Of care in the |
safe handling of explosives, and the
life of the careful man is always en-
dangered by the actions of the care
less one.
AFTER ! had sold the works at Max
Inn and had invented motorite needed
place In which to make the material
and hired a branch of the works there
for that purpose. 1t was winter. My
wife had accompanied me as pre-
cautionary measure. She was sitting
In the laboratory to keep warm. near
a big barrel stove charged with btu
minous coal.
ION entering the laboratory for
something my wife asked me what
was in those two tin pals sitting near
the stove. She said that she had a
suspicion it might be nitrogylycerin.
and she informed me that one of my
men had just been in stirring the fire
and that the sparks few out in all d.
rections. some Of them :hting in the
buckets to be quenchet. on top of the
oily liquid.
"'Horrorsv said. 1t is nitroglyc-
erinr
IL called the man who had placed it
there and told him to take it away. AS
It was necessary to keep the material
from freezing he took it into the boil
er house near by. A little later on, 60
in. into the boiler house, saw one of
the men stirring the fire while the 9th
er was standing with his coattails out
stretched in either hand, forming
shield to keep the sparks from flying
into the nitroglycerin.
"In the manufacture of high explo-
sives and in experimenting with them
a little observation-disclosures. a very
slight lack of exact caution, SEEM
ingly Insignificant inadvertence for a
moment, may cost one n limb or his
life. The accident that cost me my
left hand Is case in point.
ION the day preceding that accident
l had had gold cap put on tooth.
In consequence the tooth ached
throughout the night and kept me
awake greater part Of the time In
the morning rose early and went
. down to my factory at Maxim, N. ].
In order to test the dryness of some
illuminate compound took little
, piece Of 1t. about the size Of an Eng
i, lish penny. broke off small particle,
, placed it on n stand outside the labO-
ratory and. lighting a match. touched
!, 1t OF.
!, lowing to my loss Of sleep the night
!, before my mind was not SO alert as
!. usual. and l forgot to lay aside the
;. remaining piece Of illuminate com
pound. but instead held 1t in my left
:. hand A spark from the ignited piece
of illuminate compound entered my
!. left hand between my fingers. ignitinl
the piece there, with the result thai
my hand was blown off to the wrist.
"Once when entering my storag'
magazine at Maxim. in which wer,
several. carloads of dynamite alons
with $1,000 pounds Of nitrogelatin.
: saw John Bender. one Of my employ
ees. calmly but emphatically openin:
Il n case Of dynamite with a hamme
and chisel. promptly discharged
him
Y "Not long afterward the innkeepe
5. mt Farmingdale called on me to bu,
II some dynamite and said he had engag
t. ed Render to blow the stumps out o
|. his meadow lot. told him Bende
l. was courting death for himself an
l. everybody around when handling dy
,e Mantle. but Boniface still wante
Render to do the work.
|c ".WeI.' said /, the dynamite 70
,e want IS 16 cents pound. but if job
II Render does not succeed IN BLOWN
|e himself up and killing himself wit
% the dynamite you can have 1t for notl
,r ing. On the other hand. If he doe
n blow himself up you must pay for tn
ID dynamite
4 "A few days later there was son
pr hitch in Bender's exceptional luck.
\. particularly refractory old stump hi
N resisted couple of Bender's dynam
i. attacks. The failure to dislodge tt
stump Bender took as a personal
front because 1t reflected upon his SIX
NJ as q stump blaster.
! "Next time.' said he. something
ra going to happen He placed abo
twenty pounds Of dynamite under Il
"a. deep rooted veteran, touched it off. al
-. several things happened in very qui'
: succession. The huge stump let go
"a hold on earth and proceeded to hu
80 Bender
y, "It was a level race. but the stun
won. Striking Bender on the nor
quarter. It stove in four ribs. disloc'
ed several joints and damaged him
I'D several other respects and particula
nj Boniface came to settle for the dyI
se mite
nj "'Sfxteen cents pound sa
Render hasn't a chance In hundr'
be Wait till the doctors are through W
So him.
on "1what do you say to comp
at MISE suggested Boniface. of cent
10 pound? For. really. do not belle
that Bender Is more than half des
IN And the account was settled on Il
e- basis"
,rn ---- --------
nd Kind words are the brightest
VO | ,r,o ,oi,o : nornd