The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-10-30
Coroner's Jury Finds Cause
of Explosion That Killed
Two is Unknown.
COLD SAVED ONE LIFE
Fred Redlin, One of Men Killed,
Was Substituting for
Charles Fox.

The cause of the explosion of one
of the corning mills of the Hercules
powder mill at Pleasant Prairie on
Monday morning, in which two en-
ployes, Fred Redlin and Harry Tim
norman, were killed, may never be
known. At least the coroner's jury
which met at the inquest ordered by
Acting Coroner John Slater in the
municipal court on Tuesday after
non, was unable to reach any decision
on what caused the explosion. The
verdict of this jury showed that the
two employees of the powder mill met
their death as the result of an ex-
plosion, but "the cause of said explo-
sion remains unknown to the jury.
Five witnesses gave testimony at
the inquest, and all of the evidence
presented before the coroner and the
Jury was able to shed little light on
what actually happened moment be-
fore the explosion that took two lives,
caused the death of horse, and de-
stroyed plant powder and equipment
valued at many thousands of dollars
Find No Eye-Witnesses.
The inquest into the circumstances
surrounding the accident brought out
the fact that there were no eye-w1t-
nesses to the accident, and the only
men who could give any version OF
what happened are now dead.
Five witnesses were called by the
Jury to give evidence at the inquest.
These were Arthur Halle of Pleasant
Prairie, an employee at the powder mill
for twenty-one, years; Charles FOX,
Pleasant Prairie, also an employee, Tor
whom Redlin was substituting on the
day of the tragedy; R. H. Veale, SUI
perintendent of the Kenosha county
mills; H. H. Dairy, Pleasant Prairie,
chief clerk and timekeeper for the
company, and DR.. ]. A. Lowe of Pleas
ant Prairie, who was called to give
medical assistance and who heard
Fred Redlin's last words on the accl-
dent. All of these witnesses gave
testimony but none was able to give
definitely any inkling of information
ON what might have caused the ex-
plosion. There were several theories
advanced, but whether any or all OF
these could be applied in this case can
never be decided.
Saved By Trick OF Fate.
An interesting angle was brought
out in the evidence of Charles Fox at
the inquest. Fox, it developed, had
asked to be relieved from duty on
Monday because he had bad cold, and
desired to remain home. This wish
was granted by the superintendent and
Fred Redlin was placed in the corn
ing mill to substitute for Fox. Judge
Slater and District Attorney Morris
Barnett, who conducted the inquest,
both pointed out that this trick Of
fate perhaps saved the life of Fox.
There were several suggestions OF
"what might have BEEN" Perhaps
there would have been no explosion
and two lives would have been saved
if there had been no substituting, or
perhaps Fox owes his life to the fact
that his cold made him unable to work.
At any rate Fox, too, was unable to
testify to any possible causes for the
tragedy.
Fox told the jury that he saw the
two bodies of the men after he had
rushed over to the plant from his
home following the report of the ex-
plosion. Fox told of accompanying
Redlin, who was still conscious, in the
ambulance to the Kenosha hospital. He
declared that Redlin told him "The
horse got the best of me- couldn't
unlock him-that's all I know" and
when the ambulance reached the hospi-
tai Redlin told him "Goodby." Two
hours later, at 2:45 o'clock Redlin
died.
Body Blown $50 Feet.
Arthur Halle was the next witness
called. Halle has been a mill-wright
for the company for FL years, he testi-
fed. Halle explained the work Of the
corning mill and the duties of the
men who work in it. Halle happened
to be in the machine-shop just before
noon on Monday when the explosion
occurred. When he saw the fash and
heard the noise of the explosion he
declared he ran out of the shop in time
to see the debris ascending at great
height through the force of the explo-
sion. The horse that had pulled
tram-car and the body Of Zimmerman
forty feet from the scene with the
tram-ar, and the body Of Zimmerman
was $50 feet away on the other side,
while the body of Redlin was thirty
feet away-all blown by the force Of
the explosion. Halle also was unable
to assign any cause to the explosion.
R. H. Veale, superintendent of the
plant, whose home is in Pleasant Prai-
RE, gave another description of the mill
in operation. There was in the corning
mill, Veale said, about 1900 pounds of
powder, and in the tram car another
5 1000 pounds, all of which was blown
up in the explosion. Veale told of the
many precautions the company took to
its employees and its proper
ty. He told of the daily search each.
to which each employe is sub
jected, in an attempt to find any over
looked matches, or other articles that
might be dangerous in powder mill.
Company Furnishes Shoes.
Veale told the jury that the COM
pany furnishes a certain brand of
shoes to the employees which elimi-
mates any danger from that source.
There are also installed throughout
the grounds of the plant and at every
building, hoses and spigots to keep
platforms and nearby property in a
constantly moist condition to kill
powder dust. There are barricades