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A Cannon Bursts With Fearful Results

A Cannon Bursts With Fearful Results image
Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
July
Year
1893
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A terrible accident occured about midnight Monday at Firemen's Hall in this city. Four of the firemen had been firing a cannon nearly all the evening and were engaged in loading it with the last charge for the night when it exploded with serious results. Charles Carroll was holding the gun with his hands while Frank Kapp was driving the charge in with an iron rod and an axe. He had just struck the ram rod with the axe, when the explosión occurred. Charles Carroll lost his right hand, which was blown into fine shreds, and the greater part o lis left hand. Frank Kapp's right eg was shattered just above the cnee so that it hung merely b'y a ittle flesh. Henry McLaren and Villiam Rettich, who were standing )eside them were also quite badly ïurt. So terrific was the force of the ex)losion that a piece of the cannon weighing seven and one-half sounds was thrown several hundred :eet and through the siding of Frankin Parker's house into aroom. The cannon was made of a cast steel haft bored out and had been in use a dozen years. It weighedabout 90 jounds, was over two feet long, was hree inches and a half in diameter and had one and one-eighth inch )ore. The four injured men were alone at the time of the accident but in a moment the whole force who were n bed up stairs had turned out. Carrol! and Kapp were quickly caried in and Drs. Breakey, Kapp and Smith and their assistants were soon on hand to render what aid they ould. Carroll's right arm was amputated ust below the elbow. His left wrist was found to be badly shat;ered and a thumb and finger of the eft hand were gone. An attempt s being made to save the remaining ingers. He had also received some jruises about the legs and chin. Frank Kapp's leg was amputated bove the knee. Rettich was badly cut about both egs. A large piece of iron was ;aken out of one leg. He may have stiff leg to remitid -hitn always of of the accident. Henry McLaren had three or four uts on the leg. Carroll had been in the department for two years and Kapp for one. Carroll is a single man and vapp was married about a year ago. There are various theories as to ïow the accident occurred. Some :hink that the explosión was caused )y friction. Others that a spark ïad been left in the crevice below he breach and that the ramming of he charge in had brought the powder into contact with the spark and that the fact that the axe struck the ram rod at the instant of the explosión caused the bursting of the cannon. The two men passed a very easy night and this morning are reported much improved.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News