The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-12-07
TWO men BADLY
BURNED IN BLAST
POWDER IeNlTEp BY HEAT RE.
NAMING IN GROUND.
H, SHyLTZ & W; MOORE VICTIMS
Accident Occurred in Pit at the Vitri
fled Brick company's Plant on
Sunday Morning. Charge
Let OFF Immaturely.

! Herman Shultz, pit foreman and
Warren Moore, employees of the Oska-
loosa Vitrified Brick Company suffer
ed painful and severe injury, the eX-
tent of which is undetermined, at the
brick yard, east end of Third avenue,
little after eight o'clock on Sunday
morning.
I Powder being placed in 'hole"
for shot, to loosen the bank. be-
came fired from a previous shot of dy-
Mantle used to spread" the bottom
of the hole. The fire ran up the train
of powder being poured into the hole
and set off the remainder of the mater
ial in keg, which was in the hands of
the foreman. Mr. Moore was standing
close by with the tamping stick and
both men received the full force of
the blast.
| They are severely burned about the
face and permanent injury to the eyes
may have resulted although both as
sert that they can see. The clothing
Twas literally burned from the body of
Mr.. Shultz who is badly blistered
about the body and suffers intensely.
Mr.. Moore while severely burned
about the face, head neck and hands
ibid not suffer to the extent of the
foreman.
Preparing For Blast.
| Mr.. Shultz and his assistant went
to the yard Sunday to make prepare.
, ton for Mondays work and to loosen
quantity of material. They had a
| hole twenty-four feet in depth in
which to place their blast 1t is the
custom to first fire stick of dryna.
mite at the bottom of the hole to
spread" the base to receive or ac-
commodate several kegs of powder
which forms the shot" proper. The
dynamite had been fired and after
waiting the usual or customary length
y of time the men started to pour in
the powder and lamp 4 home. Mr..
Shultz was bending over the hole,
keg in hands pouring the explosive in
to the opening. and Mr.. Moore stood
at his side with a long wooden stick
with which the powder is showed
down and solidly tamped in the space
at the bottom, opened by the dynamite
charge.
1t is supposed that fire remained at
the bottom Of the hole from the
burning of the wrapping material
about the dynamite or possibly the
rubber insulation covering the dis.
charging wires took fire and smould-
cred. After dischaTging a spread
ing" shot a certain length of time is
always given for the hole to "cool
off, or for any other resting fire to
spend itself.
Mr.. Shultz, the foreman, has been
in charge of this particular part OF
the work for more than year and is
q capable and careful worker with ex.
IplO5iyc3. I1c has been ultra careful
and this was the first accident he has
ever had in the discharge of his work.
Both Men Suffered Severely.
Both men were in pitiable plight
following the accident and before as
sistance reached them. The city am
bulapce was summoned and the in
jured men were hurried to the County
Hospital where they were given every
attention possible. Doctors B. o. Jer-
rel and F. J. Jarvis were upon the
scene with little delay and first aid
measures we're applied ....
Several days will elapse before the
ultimate nJitcomn of the injuries TO
the individuals can be ascertaincd. II
was feared at first that one or both
men would lose their sight, but last
evening and to day they appear to
have their vision unimpared, or little
injured at the utmost. Other injuries
while severe and painful are not
necessarily serious and the men will
be out and about within short while.