People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 July 1893 — BLOWN TO PIECES. [ARTICLE]

BLOWN TO PIECES.

Two Boy* Horriblj Mangled by the Explosion of a Powder Magazine at Huntington, Ind.—Two Other Dead Bodie* bald to Have Been Found. Huntington, Ind., July 25. —At 3 o’clock Monday afternoon there was an explosion that shook the earth. People on the streets could not account for it. A hugh volume of smoke arose from the south bank of Little river, west of the Lafontaine bridge, and told the story. On the high bank at the point known as the Elm, on the property of M. B. Schaeffer, formerly stood the powder house of Schaeffer & Schaeffer. It was a small brick structure about 6 by 8 feet in size and low. On one side was a window, or rather an air bole. Monday afternoon some boys were swimming in the river at that point They saw Homer Householder and Hugh Harvey near the powder house with a rifle. In an instant there was a roar, the earth trembled, and bricks, dirt and stone were hurled in a shower in all directions. When the smoke cleared away the two boys could not be seen. The powder house had exploded. Not a brick was left in place. In fact, there was nothing left to mark the spot upon which the little building had stood except the torn-up ground and a few charred pieces of wood. The wreck was complete. Bricks were hurled half a mile. Many were blown clear through house roofs, and in one of M. B. Schaeffer’s houses a brick carried away a door. A great crowd soon collected and viewed the ruins. While the people were walking about somebody almost stepped upon two dead bodies. The bodies were lying in the grass on the north side of the river, one being on the Wabash right of way. When found the bodies were entirely naked. Their clothing was all burned off. Homer Householder, the one found on the Wabash right of way, was badly mangled. His arms were gone and his head crushed. The other body, that of Hugh Harvey, was even more mutilated than that of Householder. The head was blown off and the body burned. It had on no clothing, but a piece of Harvey’s trousers was found near by. This helped to identify him. Crowds surrounded the bodies and viewed the sickening sight. The bodies were removed to’Kenower’s undertaking establishment, where they will be prepared for burial. An unknown man and boy who were nearer the powder house than Householder j».nd Harvey cannot be found. This boy and man had been in the neighborhood several days, but were strangers. Late Monday night it was reported that two more heads were found near the powder house, making four dead in all. A boy named Peden said he had been with Harvey and Householder when Harvey proposed that they go and shoot into the powder house window. Peden refused and ran away, and had gone but a short distance when the explosion occurred. Peden was knocked down and bruised. The heavy iron door of the powder house has not been found. j Andrew Herzog and John Gooley were drilling a well about 150 yards I away. The shower of brick and stones about them was frightful. Herzog was struck in the side by a flying brick and ; knocked down. A brick struck Goolev’s left wrist and hurt it badly. Windows were broken in all parts of town. They were broken in the courthouse, Third ward schoolhouse, Catholic church, , new Osborne hotel and many other j large buildings. George Pastor’s green- . houses were riddled. The powder house was used by ■ Schaeffer & Schaeffer to store away i their stock of powder and dynamite. It was small and had a heavy door, locked with a common padlock. The last person to enter the .house was John Kunce, who was there several days ago. Ku nee said to a reporter that the house contained about twenty-five kegs of powder and one fifty-pound box of 25 per cent dvnamite.