The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1915-12-23
DYNAMITE KILLS FIVE
Fifty Pound Box cf Dynamite;
I Explodes at Duvall Ranch.
Five Dead; One
Wounded.

Five men are dead and one
wounded as the result Of the ex-
plosion of fifty pound box of
dynamite at the W. Fl. Duvall
ranch east Of Athol early Monday
morning.
The dead are: Bert Blough,
Clarence Clark Manfred Kouch,
Samuel Gibbs, Hollis Gibbs.
Injured: Lonas Gibbs.
The explosion, which occurred
at 6 80 o'clock Monday morning
was of such terrific force that
the shock was felt for miles
around. Bert. Blough was in
stantly killed, and Hollis Gibbs
and Clarence Clark lived only a
few moments after the explosion.
Bloughs body was badly
mangled, both legs and one arm
being torn from the trunk and
his head was mutilated. Both
Hollis Gibbs and Clark were
mangled.
Just how the accident occurred
will probably never be known
unless Lonas Gibbs, the only sur
viving one of those handling the
dynamite RECEIVERS.
According to John Howard,
superintendent of the Duvall
ranch, who was i'll at the time of
the accident, the men had no in
structions to use dynamite, but
had been sent to the stump patch
in order to clean up the debris
from stumps which had been pre-
viously blown.
When the accident occurred the
men were gathered about a fire,
warming themselves and thawing
out a quantity of dynamite some
OF them were engaged in crimp-
ing caps on short fuses. Just be-
fore the explosion occurred, Ed
gar Stone, one of the workmen,
left the fire for the purpose of OBJ
tanning an additional supply Of
caps and thus escaped injury.
He was several hundred yards :
away at the time of the explosion.
He Immediately ran back to the
scene of the disaster together with
W. H. Hackworth, who was work.
ing in nearby field. They i'm
mediately sent for help and at
tempted to give first aid to the
suffering victims.
Several doctors were summon.
ed from Butler and made desper-
ate efforts to save the lives of the
wounded survivors. Samuel Gibbs
fingered until about l 80 p. IN.
Monday and Manford Kouch pass
ed away about seven o'clock Mon
dav evening. s.
Gibbs, who was badly injured.
was sent to hospital in Kansas
City Monday where it was
thought it would be possible to
save his life. Wednesday morn
ing it was reported in Butler that
he had contracted pneumonia aud
was in most critical condition.
The terrific force of the explo-
sion is shown by Bloughs watch
which was in his pocket at the
time. When found thu hands stood
at 6 30, mute evidence of the time }
the disaster occurred. TIE ring
is gone, the stem bent t. one side,
the back Of the ease fore ID in
until the prints of the wheels of
the works are plainly observable
through the case and the whole
blackened and burned. His peck
ct book, containing some bills was
found some distance away with
the edges of the bills burned. A
watch found on another of the
bodies was still running when
found.
OF the three boxes of dvnamite
near the fire only one exploded.
Several sticks were sc tered
about the scene and several sticks
taught fire from the scattering
'mbers and burned without cx-
Dloding.
Bert Blough. who was about 30
years of age, is survived by a lit
lie child. Hollis Gibbs was about
IS years of age and is survived
~ wife and family, Samuel
iibbs is survived by a wife and
'even children. ManfOrd KOuch.
Who was the son of X. NJ. KOuch %
# southwest of this city; and
'larence Clark, whose parents re-
ide at Adrian, were both unmar-
led. Young Clark had commence
d work on the ranch only Mon
lay morning.
The funeral of Bert BlOugh was
ED at the M. E. Church South
tuesday afternoon at 80 0 'cloek
ofermenf .was made af OAK Hill