The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-10-30
ONE INSTANTLY KILLED
ANOTHER MAN DYING
Corning Mill at Hercules Plant is Destroyed by
Explosion Just Before Noon
This Morning.
VICTIMS ARE TERRIBLY BURNED
Larry Zimmerman is Instantly Killed and Fred Redn
g.gtains Injuries from Which Death is Ex-
pected-NO Others Injured.

terribly burned that there is no hope
for his recovery.
The two men were the only men in
the mill or working about it, at the
time Of the accident. A horse hitched
to small cart used for the transfer
! Of the powder from the corning mill
to other portions of the plant, was so
badly burned that it was necessary to
kill him. The horse is believed to
have been the innocent cause Of the
explosion. 1t is believed that the horse
shoe struck an iron rail or rock and
that the spark which came from the
contact caused the explosion with the
resulting fatalities. The property loss
to the company is believed to be in
the neighborhood of ten thousand dol
lars. A days run of powder was in
the corning mill at the time of the
explosion and this normally is from
eight hundred to eleven hundred kegs.
The mill has been so perfectly safe
guarded against accidents of this kind
that the explosion did not in any way
damage other buildings of the plant
or cause any serious danger to any
of the employees.
Leaving the Mill With Load.
At the time of the explosion Redlin
was in charge of the horse and cart
used for the transfer of the powder
He was outside the corning mill and
was just starting to drive away when
the blast occurred. His clothing was
covered with loose powder which
served as fuel to the blast and aided
in, IN tka Ior y, fha 90 RI
|, second later the corning mill "went
up" Zimmerman was in the build
ing at the time and he was blown
out of the building.
Within few seconds after the ex-
plosion men from other portions of
the plant were approaching the smok-
ing ruins of the corning mill. They
found the body of Zimmerman burned
almost beyond recognition. Redlin
terribly burned, was found only short
distance from the place where he had
been standing when the explosion took
place. DR.. A. J. Lowe of Pleasant
Prairie, heard the explosion at his
home a quarter a mile away and he
was among the first people to reach
the scene of the fatalities. He found
Redlin so badly burned as to make
it impossible to do anything for him
and he ordered him removed to the
Kenosha hospital. The injured man
reached the hospital alive shortly be-
fore one o'clock.
Casts Pail Over the Village.
The fatal explosion cast pail over
the little village of Pleasant Prairie
o1fLo,,c-h -, VILLAGE
did net know until after the body of
Zimmerman had been removed and the
badly burned companion victim was
brought from the plant that the ex
plosion had taken place. Then they
looked over toward the mill and saw
the smoke coming from the ruins of
the corning mill.
Zimmerman and Redlin were both
widely known and greatly respected
in the village. They had been en-
played by the company for years and
even the cid time powder makers who
have come to know the possibilities of
the game, had fearful eyes as they told
of the virtues of the two men who had
been caught by the blast.
Zimmerman is survived by his widow
and four children, while Redlin has a
wife and three children. Members of
the families of the men were crushed
by the accident. Mrs. Redlin was hur-
rying to the hospital shortly after
her husband had been brought away
from the ruins of the plant and it was
expected that she would reach the hos
pital before he died from his injuries.
Physicians in attendance declared that
there as no possible chance for Redlin
to survive his burns. His entire body
was a mass of burns, many of them
being third degree burns The fact
that his clothing was covered with
powder brought spread of the flames
| to every part of the body.
| While no statement has been given
out by the company, it is expected
that the wrecked mill will be rebuilt
at once.
The grim story of the tragedy was
related by the only man who knew it,
as Redlin was being brought to the
! hospital in the ambulance, While suf-
fering intense pain, Redlin was at all
times conscious and he was still con-
scious after he had been taken to
| the hospital. On the way to the hos
pital he declared that he had seen the
j spark which ignited the powder, but
that there had been no chance for
him to escape. He said that there
was powder along the ground where
the horse happened to cause the spark
| and that this served as fuse to ignite
the other powder. While under the in
| fuence of opiates, in an effort to re-
! lieve the pain of what are considered
his dying minutes, Redlin showed great
fortitude and appeared to be entirely
conscious of everything going on
about him. He frequently called for
water at the hospital and after this
relief he continued to tell his story.