The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-05-29
MANY BARELY
ESCAPED DEATH
Gun Bursts While Being
Used in Target
Practice

|
we're at half-mast Friday over Fort
Moultrie in recognizance of the only
catastrophe of moment that has &C.
CURED since the establishment of the
army post on Sullivan's Island. Only
| the half-masted flags and a sentry
| posted over the shattered gun re-
NAMED Thursday in mute evidence
of the fact that four lives had been
sacrificed and at least three men ID
the service seriously injured because
of a single defective shot.
At $40 Thursday night Gun No. 2,
of Battery Lord, burst when the
fourth shot was fired in target prac-
tice. Pieces of metal from the ex-
ploded breech flew in every direction,
menacing the safety of a score or
more of army officials who were eth
er operating the gun, directing its
discharge or viewing the proceedings.
The force of the explosion expended
itself rearward so that the projectile
dropped but a short distance before
the gun.
When the smoke and confusion
had cleared away Private Alton McD.
Baxter and Private Arthur Christian
Law dead and mutilated on the
ground. Terribly injured Capt. Guy
B. G. Hanna pitched into the arms OF
Capt. Clarke, of the 144th company,
his right side practically blown away.
Private Rol Dalton lay unconscious.
Shoulder and hand were badly lacer-
ated in the case of Private Slime
spring; Hospital Steward Sergt. Lo-
mar was knocked down and his right
hand badly torn, while Private Swag-
serty had his shoulder and hand cut
by flying metal.
The injured were rushed to the
army post hospital, where DR.. James
A. Simpson, the recently arrived
army surgeon in charge, found him.
self unable to cope with the unusual
situation. A hurry call to Charles
ton for medical and surgical assist
ance met with instant response of a
most generous nature, and shortly
after midnight the yacht Grace clear
ed from the Carolina Yacht Club with
seven Charleston physicians aboard,
bringing with them equipment lnval-
liable in the emergency to be faced.
Despite the best efforts of the med
ical men Private Baxter died ALMOST
Immediately, so terrible were his in
juries. although heroic operations
were first performed. Capt. Hanna
was resting fairly comfortable when
the Charleston delegation left at 3
o'clock Thursday morning, but suf-
fered a relapse and succumbed shortly
after 9 O'Clock. The injuries of the
others were successfully treated and
they are on the road to recovery.
Sergt. Lomar, however, found HIM
self in a peculiarly unenviable posi-
ton. With DR.. Simpson hardly able
to cope temporarily with the more
serious aspects of the accident, he
WAS unable to find treatment nearer
than Charleston. With his hand
bleeding terribly he set out in the
lighthouse tender for this city, under
the care of Light Keeper H. S. Svend-
sen. The passage was rough and dis
appointing in the extreme, for when
the launch landed in Charleston it
| was learned that the local physicians
| we're already en- route in body for
the scene of the accident. Sergt.
Lomar Immediately returned, but so
busy we're the doctors with those
whose injuries were of a more serious
nature that it was some time before
he could secure proper treatment.
Saturday morning the body of
Capt. Hanna was put aboard the
Carolina Special for Louisville. Capt.
Hanna was thirty-four years old and
is survived by widow. He was ap'
pointed in March, 1899, and attained
his captaincy in March, 1911. He
had been stationed at Moultrie for
the past eight months.
Dalton's body was shipped to Con-
way. Ky; Baxter's to Cosby, Tenn,
and Christians to Longstreet, Ohio
Two sisters of private Baxter, who
came down from Asheville, \. c., to
accompany him home on furlough
to be granted at the end of the target
practice, which has been temporarily
suspended, left Charleston in deer
grief.
To investigate the matter and