The Milton Blasting Accident

Bruce Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 2494, 18 July 1893, Page 3

The Milton Blasting Accident

: We regret to announce the death of Mr Dryden, the victim of the blasting aooldent at the lime works yesterday week. It has joome as a great surprise upon thepublio, for a fatal termination waa certainly not anticipated. In faot, Mr Dryden appeared to be mending rapidly, when a bad turn set in on Sunday, he beoame delirious, and in the afternoon tie passed on, He leaves a wife and twelve children, one of them a baby of eight weeks old. Three of his sonB — young men— worked with him at the limekilns, and it is therefore probable they will take up the oontraot their father had with the Limekilns Company. Mr Dry den's- untimely end has shooked the community here, among whom he was widely known and highly respected. His burly form and pleasant word and amile will be missed for, many a day, The utmost sympathy is extended to his widow and family, who, if not exactly unprovided for, have none too much of this " warld's gear." , Fortunately for them Mr Dryden was insured . with the Aooldent Insurance Company for > £300. Dr Stewart was in attendance upon ; the deceased to the last, and as he gives a certificate aa to the oauae of death an inquest ■ will not be neoeaaary, : The accident thai has taken a good man from among us was of a somewhat singular ; character, and is another to be added to the many experiences that imperatively demand extreme oaution in blasting operations. It seems that Mr Dryden oonduoted all the blasting himself, and on this oocasion had had a hole jumped some eight or nine feet deep in tbe usual way and proceeded to do the rest himself. A small charge of dynamite was first exploded at the bottom of the hole to expand it there for the reception of a auffioieut oharge of blasting powder. This Mr Dryden poured into the hole from a keg of powder which he held under bis arm, and whilst so oooupied the explosion took plaoe, and is only to be aooounted for by a fragment of fire being left in the hole from the previous dynamite shot. However that may be, the unfortunate man was terribly , burned, and received a shook to the ayatem 'from which he could, not rally. He was standing on a ledge on the face of the cutting some feet from the ground, and one of the men was attending to him from below, when the explosion happened. He was taken to Mr Rusßell'e farm and thence to his houße at Milburn, with the result as above Bet forth.