Their suggestion:
-------------------------
William Weaver =married, age 27 Years 2 months and 29 days, Place of Death: Monitor Township, Accidental Dynamite, B.P. Michigan, Occupation: Laborer, Father: Joseph Weaver, Mother: C Crenion.
Source: Bay County Death Record # 6024
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION
At The Dynamite Works Near West Bay City Yesterday.
THREE MEN KILLED
Their Bodies Were Blown To Atoms and Strewn For Two Hundred Feet
Bay City News
The inhabitants of this and Bay City were startled yesterday afternoon about 2:30 o'clock by a terrific explosion which rattled windows and shook buildings to their foundations. It was surmised by many that the report came from the direction of Kawkawlin but nothing could be learned from that place as the telephone service was out of order. After considerable delay word was received from the McGuires house in Kawkawlin that the packing house at the dynamite works had been blown up together with three men who were employed in the building.
The dynamite works are situated about three and a half miles out of West Bay City on the Kawkawlin road. The plant consists of a mixing house, packing house and a storehouse. The packing house was situated about 100 rods from the road and stood at a considerable distance form the other buildings. The building was a one-story frame structure 26 feet wide and 40 foot long and contained no machinery other than the packing tools. It was in this place that the three men, Edward Halligan, William Weaver, and William VanVasler met their death. All three men leave wives and families, the first tow living in Kawkawlin and the latter in this city. Halligan worked for a short time last summer in this position, at which time the packers narrowly averted an explosion. Immediately after that he quit work there remarking at the time that he would never work in the place again. He kept this vow until this morning when he was called upon to go to work to fill another man's place who had been taken sick. Halligan consented to go and had been at work about six hours when the awful explosion occurred.
It will never be known just what caused the accident The men were all required to wear rubber boots while at work and it may be that they were careless in this respect or had something on their person that scraped against some of the dynamite which became ignited. A teamster named Link had just left the building a minute before and noticed nothing wrong while he was with the men in the packing room. Link had got but a short distance from the building when he was knocked down by the force of the shock. He returned to the place immediately to find that all that was left of the building and contents was a sprinkling of splinters, paper and human flesh which covered the ground for a distance of 200 feet. A large oak tree which was standing near the building was torn from the earth and carried 75 feet away. The explosion left a large hole nearly 30 feet deep in the found directly under the spot where the building stood. The plant is owned by H.H. Thomas of Bay City. This is the third explosion that has occurred in the present location, the first one happened some years ago and the next one last summer. Fortunately, no one was hurt at either of these explosions, the men escaping from the first one just a minute before it occurred.
The dynamite is put up in bars ten inches long and one and a half inches in diameter and is packed in boxes which hold fifty pounds of these bars.
The remains that could be found of the three men were collected together and did not quite half fill one of these boxes. The men's families are prostrate with grief over the affair and are left helpless as they were entirely dependent upon these men for their subsistence.
H. H. Thomas, the owner of the plant lives in Bay City and was at home when the explosion occurred. He left for the scene immediately.
Source: Saginaw Evening News: Saturday April 21, 1900 p.11
THREE MEN KILLED
Dynamite Explosion at Kawkawlin Resulted Horribly.
BODIES BLOWN TO ATOMS
Trees Torn to Splinters and Houses and Stores Wrecked.
Widows of the Men Gave Way to Violent Grief.
Explosion Caused By Dropping a Pail of Dynamite on the Floor.
Bay City , April 20- The packing house of the Ajax dynamite Works , at Kawkawlin, was blown up this afternoon, at 2:10. Three men were killed.
William Weaver, married, two children
Ed Halligan, married, four children
W. M. Van Vasler, married , one son.
Weaver and Hallan were residents of Kawkawlin, and Van Vasler of West Bay City.
Their bodies were blown to atoms, nothing but pieces of flesh and clothing being found. Trees were uprooted or torn to splinters. Houses and stores in Kawkawlin were wrecked. It was a scene of awful desolation and heart sickening horror. When the widows of Weaver and Van Vasler came a few minutes after the explosion, they gave themselves over to the most violent grief and became frantic. Their shrieked were agonizing. H. H. Thomas , of this city, owns the works. This was the fourth explosion in seven years. It is believed the explosion was caused by dropping a pan full of dynamite on the floor.
The explosion was distinctly heard and felt in Bay City.
Source: Saginaw Courier-Herald Saturday April 21, 1900 p6.
INTERRED TOGETHER
Remains of Victims of Dynamite Explosion In One Casket.
Services Held Yesterday.
Coroner's Jury Return Verdict of Death By Accident.
Bay City, April 25 - The Coroner's jury which investigated the death of the three men killed by the dynamite explosion in Kawkawlin returned a verdict that their deaths was due to an accident, in the absence of evidence to the contrary. The victims were all members of St. Mary church on the west side from which the funeral was held at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The remains of the three men were placed in one casket.
Source: Saginaw Evening News Monday April 23, 1900 pg 7
TORN TO PIECES
Their Lives Snuffed Out By An Explosion Of Dynamite.
Packing House At Thomas' Works Blows Up.
Ton Of High Explosives Suddenly Lets Go.
Men Working In Building Meet Quick Death.
Down Cities Shaken By The Awful Concussion.
Remarkable Escape Of Driver Reuben Link.
Just Left Packing House When Shock Came.
Cause Of The Disaster Will Never Be Known.
The Dead. Wm Weaver of Kawkawlin. Edward Halligan, of Kawkawlin. Wm Van Vasler. of West Bay City.
The packing house of the Ajax dynamite works of H. H. Thomas, on the Kawkawlin River, within fifty yards of the stone road and near the village of Kawkawlin, was blown to pieces at 2:45 yesterday afternoon, and only a huge hole in the ground marks the spot where the building stood. Three men were blown to atoms, the fragments of their bodies being scattered for 100 yards in every direction.
The packing house was 16 x 24 feet in size, one story high, made of rough boards. It was about 800 feet south of the factory. In the packing house at the time of the explosion was between 800 to 1000 pounds of dynamite. This great quantity of explosive stuff suddenly let go, with awful results.
The shock of the explosion was felt in the Bay Cities, being more pronounced on the west side of the river, where buildings trembled and stock to the stores was shaken from it places. A reported fro the Tribune was at the corner of Michigan and Lin Streets and divining at once that the explosion was at the dynamite works he mounted his wheel and started for the place, being the first outsider to reach the scene.
The explosion had completely obliterated the packing house. Not a vestage of the building remained. A huge hole , fully 15 feet deep and 30 feet across, bore tribute of the awful force of the explosives. Trees in the vicinity were uprooted , and some broken off as though by an axe. Fragments of the limbs of these trees were strewn all over the neighborhood and the scene was one of desolation.
The horror of the affair slowly dawned upon the little crowd of onlookers, which was being steadily increased. Fragments of human flesh hung from the trees near where the packing house had stood. A piece of two inch pipe , about 10 feet long, which carried the liquid explosive from the factory to the packinghouse , had been torn from its fastenings under ground and twisted into fantastic shape, being found on the Kawkawlin road fifty rods from the scene, and near it a small portion of the hip of one of the unfortunates who had as suddenly perished.
Four men working at the plant during the afternoon. They were William Weaver and Edward Halligan of Kawkawlin, Wm. Van Vasseler of West Bay City and Reuben Link, whose home is in Sanford, Michigan. Link is the teamster who hauls the explosive from the factory to the market. He had just left the packing house fro Bay City with a load of the manufactured products. He had reached the stone road about 50 rods from the building , when the explosion occurred. He immediately jumped from his wagon and ran behind the magazine near by, peering out from his shelter. Everything was in the air when he looked, and the fragments of the building and its occupants began to fall to the ground, Link's only thought was to escape injury from the flying debris.
"I had not been out if the building three minutes," said Link, "when the explosion occurred. Just as I completed loading I asked Halligan what time it was. He pulled out his watch and looked at it put it back in the pocket without telling me, winked at the others as he did so." I said " Well its's time I was getting out of there, anyhow." Then I bade them good bye and told them I would see them tonight. This was something I had never done before. They all responded good naturedly. When I left, Van Vasseler was mixing the explosive to place in the cartridges and the other two were packing them. Van Vasler was acting as foreman in the absence of Minam (?) Harwood of Kawkawlin, the regular foreman, who was taken sick last Sunday, and is still confined to his home. The cartridges being loaded were what are known as 40 per cents, seven of eight inches long and an inch and a quarter in diameter. When I felt the shock I realized what happened and was thankful for my escape."
The factory started up March 24, and Halligan began work yesterday morning. He had previously been employed in the factory and when he quit last year he said that if he ever worked in a plant of this kind again it would be when he couldn't get a job anywhere else. Weaver and Van Vasler had been employed at the plant for several years.
The Cause of the explosion will never be known. Everything appeared to be all right when Link left the plant. The explosive is carried from the factory to the packing house through a two inch pipe. It flows into a vat where the mixing takes place, and Van Vasler was engaged in this work when Link left. The explosion might have occurred from the improper mixing of the stuff, spontaneous combustion or dropping of a pailful on the floor.
Among the first to arrive on the scene were Mrs. Weaver and Mrs Halligan, who were attracted by the explosion and at once started out to ascertain if their husbands had been harmed. When they realized the extent of the calamity that had befallen them the women were crazed with grief and the scene which followed was heartrendering. Finally they were led from the scene and taken to their homes.
As soon as they recovered from their first horror at the scene before them the spectators began picking up the fragments of bodies and placing them i a heap. There was no means of identification, for the men were blown all to pieces, being literally blotted out of existence. The fragments of their bodies that could be found would scarcely fill a half bushel basket.
Van Vasler's wheel was in the factory near the door. It was found about 200 feet from the packing house, the frame being bent out of shape and the wheel a total wreck. One of the tires was hanging from a tree 100 feet from the scene of the explosion.
Weaver is survived by a widow and two children; Halligan, a widow and three children; Van Vasler, a widow. The latter was married about two years ago.
Van Vasler was 23 years old. He was married March 23,1899. His widow was found last night at the home of her parents, Mr and Mrs Allen, 705 State Street. She had been out to the scene of the explosion and found several fragments of what had formerly been her husband's clothing. Two weeks ago last Monday they had started housekeeping at 714 King Street, West Bay City. Mrs Van Vasler said her husband was a member of Kawkawlin camp of Foresters and carried $1000 insurance in the order but she would not get the benefit , as the policy prohibits work in such dangerous places as he was employed. Van Vasler's parents live at Bedell's corners in Kawkawlin township.
This is the fourth time an explosion has occurred at the works. The first was about seven years ago, the second two years later, the third two years ago and the fourth yesterday. Two men were killed in one of the explosions. The explosions have always occurred in the factory proper and yesterday's was the first time the packing house had blown up.
The glass fronts of several stores in the village of Kawkawlin were wrecked by the explosion. Koffman's general store suffered the greatest damage, this being the second time he had been a victim of an explosion.
Coroner Van Tuyl went to the scene. On arrival he found that Justice of the Peace Page of Kawkawlin had impaneled a jury and set the inquest for last night.
The inquest was last night adjourned until this morning in Justice Page's office.
Source Bay City Times April 1900
IN ONE GRAVE
Victims Of Dynamite Explosion Buried Sunday
The funeral of the victims of the dynamite explosion took place from St Mary's church Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock, the edifice being crowded with friends of the three unfortunate men. There were 75 vehicles in the funeral procession, which left the village at 5 o'clock. The remains were placed in one casket and interred in the new Calvery Cemetery, situated in a grove on the banks of the Kawkawlin River, opposite the village.
Source: Bay City Times April 1900
-------------------------
-------------------------
William Weaver =married, age 27 Years 2 months and 29 days, Place of Death: Monitor Township, Accidental Dynamite, B.P. Michigan, Occupation: Laborer, Father: Joseph Weaver, Mother: C Crenion.
Source: Bay County Death Record # 6024
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION
At The Dynamite Works Near West Bay City Yesterday.
THREE MEN KILLED
Their Bodies Were Blown To Atoms and Strewn For Two Hundred Feet
Bay City News
The inhabitants of this and Bay City were startled yesterday afternoon about 2:30 o'clock by a terrific explosion which rattled windows and shook buildings to their foundations. It was surmised by many that the report came from the direction of Kawkawlin but nothing could be learned from that place as the telephone service was out of order. After considerable delay word was received from the McGuires house in Kawkawlin that the packing house at the dynamite works had been blown up together with three men who were employed in the building.
The dynamite works are situated about three and a half miles out of West Bay City on the Kawkawlin road. The plant consists of a mixing house, packing house and a storehouse. The packing house was situated about 100 rods from the road and stood at a considerable distance form the other buildings. The building was a one-story frame structure 26 feet wide and 40 foot long and contained no machinery other than the packing tools. It was in this place that the three men, Edward Halligan, William Weaver, and William VanVasler met their death. All three men leave wives and families, the first tow living in Kawkawlin and the latter in this city. Halligan worked for a short time last summer in this position, at which time the packers narrowly averted an explosion. Immediately after that he quit work there remarking at the time that he would never work in the place again. He kept this vow until this morning when he was called upon to go to work to fill another man's place who had been taken sick. Halligan consented to go and had been at work about six hours when the awful explosion occurred.
It will never be known just what caused the accident The men were all required to wear rubber boots while at work and it may be that they were careless in this respect or had something on their person that scraped against some of the dynamite which became ignited. A teamster named Link had just left the building a minute before and noticed nothing wrong while he was with the men in the packing room. Link had got but a short distance from the building when he was knocked down by the force of the shock. He returned to the place immediately to find that all that was left of the building and contents was a sprinkling of splinters, paper and human flesh which covered the ground for a distance of 200 feet. A large oak tree which was standing near the building was torn from the earth and carried 75 feet away. The explosion left a large hole nearly 30 feet deep in the found directly under the spot where the building stood. The plant is owned by H.H. Thomas of Bay City. This is the third explosion that has occurred in the present location, the first one happened some years ago and the next one last summer. Fortunately, no one was hurt at either of these explosions, the men escaping from the first one just a minute before it occurred.
The dynamite is put up in bars ten inches long and one and a half inches in diameter and is packed in boxes which hold fifty pounds of these bars.
The remains that could be found of the three men were collected together and did not quite half fill one of these boxes. The men's families are prostrate with grief over the affair and are left helpless as they were entirely dependent upon these men for their subsistence.
H. H. Thomas, the owner of the plant lives in Bay City and was at home when the explosion occurred. He left for the scene immediately.
Source: Saginaw Evening News: Saturday April 21, 1900 p.11
THREE MEN KILLED
Dynamite Explosion at Kawkawlin Resulted Horribly.
BODIES BLOWN TO ATOMS
Trees Torn to Splinters and Houses and Stores Wrecked.
Widows of the Men Gave Way to Violent Grief.
Explosion Caused By Dropping a Pail of Dynamite on the Floor.
Bay City , April 20- The packing house of the Ajax dynamite Works , at Kawkawlin, was blown up this afternoon, at 2:10. Three men were killed.
William Weaver, married, two children
Ed Halligan, married, four children
W. M. Van Vasler, married , one son.
Weaver and Hallan were residents of Kawkawlin, and Van Vasler of West Bay City.
Their bodies were blown to atoms, nothing but pieces of flesh and clothing being found. Trees were uprooted or torn to splinters. Houses and stores in Kawkawlin were wrecked. It was a scene of awful desolation and heart sickening horror. When the widows of Weaver and Van Vasler came a few minutes after the explosion, they gave themselves over to the most violent grief and became frantic. Their shrieked were agonizing. H. H. Thomas , of this city, owns the works. This was the fourth explosion in seven years. It is believed the explosion was caused by dropping a pan full of dynamite on the floor.
The explosion was distinctly heard and felt in Bay City.
Source: Saginaw Courier-Herald Saturday April 21, 1900 p6.
INTERRED TOGETHER
Remains of Victims of Dynamite Explosion In One Casket.
Services Held Yesterday.
Coroner's Jury Return Verdict of Death By Accident.
Bay City, April 25 - The Coroner's jury which investigated the death of the three men killed by the dynamite explosion in Kawkawlin returned a verdict that their deaths was due to an accident, in the absence of evidence to the contrary. The victims were all members of St. Mary church on the west side from which the funeral was held at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The remains of the three men were placed in one casket.
Source: Saginaw Evening News Monday April 23, 1900 pg 7
TORN TO PIECES
Their Lives Snuffed Out By An Explosion Of Dynamite.
Packing House At Thomas' Works Blows Up.
Ton Of High Explosives Suddenly Lets Go.
Men Working In Building Meet Quick Death.
Down Cities Shaken By The Awful Concussion.
Remarkable Escape Of Driver Reuben Link.
Just Left Packing House When Shock Came.
Cause Of The Disaster Will Never Be Known.
The Dead. Wm Weaver of Kawkawlin. Edward Halligan, of Kawkawlin. Wm Van Vasler. of West Bay City.
The packing house of the Ajax dynamite works of H. H. Thomas, on the Kawkawlin River, within fifty yards of the stone road and near the village of Kawkawlin, was blown to pieces at 2:45 yesterday afternoon, and only a huge hole in the ground marks the spot where the building stood. Three men were blown to atoms, the fragments of their bodies being scattered for 100 yards in every direction.
The packing house was 16 x 24 feet in size, one story high, made of rough boards. It was about 800 feet south of the factory. In the packing house at the time of the explosion was between 800 to 1000 pounds of dynamite. This great quantity of explosive stuff suddenly let go, with awful results.
The shock of the explosion was felt in the Bay Cities, being more pronounced on the west side of the river, where buildings trembled and stock to the stores was shaken from it places. A reported fro the Tribune was at the corner of Michigan and Lin Streets and divining at once that the explosion was at the dynamite works he mounted his wheel and started for the place, being the first outsider to reach the scene.
The explosion had completely obliterated the packing house. Not a vestage of the building remained. A huge hole , fully 15 feet deep and 30 feet across, bore tribute of the awful force of the explosives. Trees in the vicinity were uprooted , and some broken off as though by an axe. Fragments of the limbs of these trees were strewn all over the neighborhood and the scene was one of desolation.
The horror of the affair slowly dawned upon the little crowd of onlookers, which was being steadily increased. Fragments of human flesh hung from the trees near where the packing house had stood. A piece of two inch pipe , about 10 feet long, which carried the liquid explosive from the factory to the packinghouse , had been torn from its fastenings under ground and twisted into fantastic shape, being found on the Kawkawlin road fifty rods from the scene, and near it a small portion of the hip of one of the unfortunates who had as suddenly perished.
Four men working at the plant during the afternoon. They were William Weaver and Edward Halligan of Kawkawlin, Wm. Van Vasseler of West Bay City and Reuben Link, whose home is in Sanford, Michigan. Link is the teamster who hauls the explosive from the factory to the market. He had just left the packing house fro Bay City with a load of the manufactured products. He had reached the stone road about 50 rods from the building , when the explosion occurred. He immediately jumped from his wagon and ran behind the magazine near by, peering out from his shelter. Everything was in the air when he looked, and the fragments of the building and its occupants began to fall to the ground, Link's only thought was to escape injury from the flying debris.
"I had not been out if the building three minutes," said Link, "when the explosion occurred. Just as I completed loading I asked Halligan what time it was. He pulled out his watch and looked at it put it back in the pocket without telling me, winked at the others as he did so." I said " Well its's time I was getting out of there, anyhow." Then I bade them good bye and told them I would see them tonight. This was something I had never done before. They all responded good naturedly. When I left, Van Vasseler was mixing the explosive to place in the cartridges and the other two were packing them. Van Vasler was acting as foreman in the absence of Minam (?) Harwood of Kawkawlin, the regular foreman, who was taken sick last Sunday, and is still confined to his home. The cartridges being loaded were what are known as 40 per cents, seven of eight inches long and an inch and a quarter in diameter. When I felt the shock I realized what happened and was thankful for my escape."
The factory started up March 24, and Halligan began work yesterday morning. He had previously been employed in the factory and when he quit last year he said that if he ever worked in a plant of this kind again it would be when he couldn't get a job anywhere else. Weaver and Van Vasler had been employed at the plant for several years.
The Cause of the explosion will never be known. Everything appeared to be all right when Link left the plant. The explosive is carried from the factory to the packing house through a two inch pipe. It flows into a vat where the mixing takes place, and Van Vasler was engaged in this work when Link left. The explosion might have occurred from the improper mixing of the stuff, spontaneous combustion or dropping of a pailful on the floor.
Among the first to arrive on the scene were Mrs. Weaver and Mrs Halligan, who were attracted by the explosion and at once started out to ascertain if their husbands had been harmed. When they realized the extent of the calamity that had befallen them the women were crazed with grief and the scene which followed was heartrendering. Finally they were led from the scene and taken to their homes.
As soon as they recovered from their first horror at the scene before them the spectators began picking up the fragments of bodies and placing them i a heap. There was no means of identification, for the men were blown all to pieces, being literally blotted out of existence. The fragments of their bodies that could be found would scarcely fill a half bushel basket.
Van Vasler's wheel was in the factory near the door. It was found about 200 feet from the packing house, the frame being bent out of shape and the wheel a total wreck. One of the tires was hanging from a tree 100 feet from the scene of the explosion.
Weaver is survived by a widow and two children; Halligan, a widow and three children; Van Vasler, a widow. The latter was married about two years ago.
Van Vasler was 23 years old. He was married March 23,1899. His widow was found last night at the home of her parents, Mr and Mrs Allen, 705 State Street. She had been out to the scene of the explosion and found several fragments of what had formerly been her husband's clothing. Two weeks ago last Monday they had started housekeeping at 714 King Street, West Bay City. Mrs Van Vasler said her husband was a member of Kawkawlin camp of Foresters and carried $1000 insurance in the order but she would not get the benefit , as the policy prohibits work in such dangerous places as he was employed. Van Vasler's parents live at Bedell's corners in Kawkawlin township.
This is the fourth time an explosion has occurred at the works. The first was about seven years ago, the second two years later, the third two years ago and the fourth yesterday. Two men were killed in one of the explosions. The explosions have always occurred in the factory proper and yesterday's was the first time the packing house had blown up.
The glass fronts of several stores in the village of Kawkawlin were wrecked by the explosion. Koffman's general store suffered the greatest damage, this being the second time he had been a victim of an explosion.
Coroner Van Tuyl went to the scene. On arrival he found that Justice of the Peace Page of Kawkawlin had impaneled a jury and set the inquest for last night.
The inquest was last night adjourned until this morning in Justice Page's office.
Source Bay City Times April 1900
IN ONE GRAVE
Victims Of Dynamite Explosion Buried Sunday
The funeral of the victims of the dynamite explosion took place from St Mary's church Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock, the edifice being crowded with friends of the three unfortunate men. There were 75 vehicles in the funeral procession, which left the village at 5 o'clock. The remains were placed in one casket and interred in the new Calvery Cemetery, situated in a grove on the banks of the Kawkawlin River, opposite the village.
Source: Bay City Times April 1900
-------------------------
Their suggestion:
-------------------------
William Weaver =married, age 27 Years 2 months and 29 days, Place of Death: Monitor Township, Accidental Dynamite, B.P. Michigan, Occupation: Laborer, Father: Joseph Weaver, Mother: C Crenion.
Source: Bay County Death Record # 6024
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION
At The Dynamite Works Near West Bay City Yesterday.
THREE MEN KILLED
Their Bodies Were Blown To Atoms and Strewn For Two Hundred Feet
Bay City News
The inhabitants of this and Bay City were startled yesterday afternoon about 2:30 o'clock by a terrific explosion which rattled windows and shook buildings to their foundations. It was surmised by many that the report came from the direction of Kawkawlin but nothing could be learned from that place as the telephone service was out of order. After considerable delay word was received from the McGuires house in Kawkawlin that the packing house at the dynamite works had been blown up together with three men who were employed in the building.
The dynamite works are situated about three and a half miles out of West Bay City on the Kawkawlin road. The plant consists of a mixing house, packing house and a storehouse. The packing house was situated about 100 rods from the road and stood at a considerable distance form the other buildings. The building was a one-story frame structure 26 feet wide and 40 foot long and contained no machinery other than the packing tools. It was in this place that the three men, Edward Halligan, William Weaver, and William VanVasler met their death. All three men leave wives and families, the first tow living in Kawkawlin and the latter in this city. Halligan worked for a short time last summer in this position, at which time the packers narrowly averted an explosion. Immediately after that he quit work there remarking at the time that he would never work in the place again. He kept this vow until this morning when he was called upon to go to work to fill another man's place who had been taken sick. Halligan consented to go and had been at work about six hours when the awful explosion occurred.
It will never be known just what caused the accident The men were all required to wear rubber boots while at work and it may be that they were careless in this respect or had something on their person that scraped against some of the dynamite which became ignited. A teamster named Link had just left the building a minute before and noticed nothing wrong while he was with the men in the packing room. Link had got but a short distance from the building when he was knocked down by the force of the shock. He returned to the place immediately to find that all that was left of the building and contents was a sprinkling of splinters, paper and human flesh which covered the ground for a distance of 200 feet. A large oak tree which was standing near the building was torn from the earth and carried 75 feet away. The explosion left a large hole nearly 30 feet deep in the found directly under the spot where the building stood. The plant is owned by H.H. Thomas of Bay City. This is the third explosion that has occurred in the present location, the first one happened some years ago and the next one last summer. Fortunately, no one was hurt at either of these explosions, the men escaping from the first one just a minute before it occurred.
The dynamite is put up in bars ten inches long and one and a half inches in diameter and is packed in boxes which hold fifty pounds of these bars.
The remains that could be found of the three men were collected together and did not quite half fill one of these boxes. The men's families are prostrate with grief over the affair and are left helpless as they were entirely dependent upon these men for their subsistence.
H. H. Thomas, the owner of the plant lives in Bay City and was at home when the explosion occurred. He left for the scene immediately.
Source: Saginaw Evening News: Saturday April 21, 1900 p.11
THREE MEN KILLED
Dynamite Explosion at Kawkawlin Resulted Horribly.
BODIES BLOWN TO ATOMS
Trees Torn to Splinters and Houses and Stores Wrecked.
Widows of the Men Gave Way to Violent Grief.
Explosion Caused By Dropping a Pail of Dynamite on the Floor.
Bay City , April 20- The packing house of the Ajax dynamite Works , at Kawkawlin, was blown up this afternoon, at 2:10. Three men were killed.
William Weaver, married, two children
Ed Halligan, married, four children
W. M. Van Vasler, married , one son.
Weaver and Hallan were residents of Kawkawlin, and Van Vasler of West Bay City.
Their bodies were blown to atoms, nothing but pieces of flesh and clothing being found. Trees were uprooted or torn to splinters. Houses and stores in Kawkawlin were wrecked. It was a scene of awful desolation and heart sickening horror. When the widows of Weaver and Van Vasler came a few minutes after the explosion, they gave themselves over to the most violent grief and became frantic. Their shrieked were agonizing. H. H. Thomas , of this city, owns the works. This was the fourth explosion in seven years. It is believed the explosion was caused by dropping a pan full of dynamite on the floor.
The explosion was distinctly heard and felt in Bay City.
Source: Saginaw Courier-Herald Saturday April 21, 1900 p6.
INTERRED TOGETHER
Remains of Victims of Dynamite Explosion In One Casket.
Services Held Yesterday.
Coroner's Jury Return Verdict of Death By Accident.
Bay City, April 25 - The Coroner's jury which investigated the death of the three men killed by the dynamite explosion in Kawkawlin returned a verdict that their deaths was due to an accident, in the absence of evidence to the contrary. The victims were all members of St. Mary church on the west side from which the funeral was held at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The remains of the three men were placed in one casket.
Source: Saginaw Evening News Monday April 23, 1900 pg 7
TORN TO PIECES
Their Lives Snuffed Out By An Explosion Of Dynamite.
Packing House At Thomas' Works Blows Up.
Ton Of High Explosives Suddenly Lets Go.
Men Working In Building Meet Quick Death.
Down Cities Shaken By The Awful Concussion.
Remarkable Escape Of Driver Reuben Link.
Just Left Packing House When Shock Came.
Cause Of The Disaster Will Never Be Known.
The Dead. Wm Weaver of Kawkawlin. Edward Halligan, of Kawkawlin. Wm Van Vasler. of West Bay City.
The packing house of the Ajax dynamite works of H. H. Thomas, on the Kawkawlin River, within fifty yards of the stone road and near the village of Kawkawlin, was blown to pieces at 2:45 yesterday afternoon, and only a huge hole in the ground marks the spot where the building stood. Three men were blown to atoms, the fragments of their bodies being scattered for 100 yards in every direction.
The packing house was 16 x 24 feet in size, one story high, made of rough boards. It was about 800 feet south of the factory. In the packing house at the time of the explosion was between 800 to 1000 pounds of dynamite. This great quantity of explosive stuff suddenly let go, with awful results.
The shock of the explosion was felt in the Bay Cities, being more pronounced on the west side of the river, where buildings trembled and stock to the stores was shaken from it places. A reported fro the Tribune was at the corner of Michigan and Lin Streets and divining at once that the explosion was at the dynamite works he mounted his wheel and started for the place, being the first outsider to reach the scene.
The explosion had completely obliterated the packing house. Not a vestage of the building remained. A huge hole , fully 15 feet deep and 30 feet across, bore tribute of the awful force of the explosives. Trees in the vicinity were uprooted , and some broken off as though by an axe. Fragments of the limbs of these trees were strewn all over the neighborhood and the scene was one of desolation.
The horror of the affair slowly dawned upon the little crowd of onlookers, which was being steadily increased. Fragments of human flesh hung from the trees near where the packing house had stood. A piece of two inch pipe , about 10 feet long, which carried the liquid explosive from the factory to the packinghouse , had been torn from its fastenings under ground and twisted into fantastic shape, being found on the Kawkawlin road fifty rods from the scene, and near it a small portion of the hip of one of the unfortunates who had as suddenly perished.
Four men working at the plant during the afternoon. They were William Weaver and Edward Halligan of Kawkawlin, Wm. Van Vasseler of West Bay City and Reuben Link, whose home is in Sanford, Michigan. Link is the teamster who hauls the explosive from the factory to the market. He had just left the packing house fro Bay City with a load of the manufactured products. He had reached the stone road about 50 rods from the building , when the explosion occurred. He immediately jumped from his wagon and ran behind the magazine near by, peering out from his shelter. Everything was in the air when he looked, and the fragments of the building and its occupants began to fall to the ground, Link's only thought was to escape injury from the flying debris.
"I had not been out if the building three minutes," said Link, "when the explosion occurred. Just as I completed loading I asked Halligan what time it was. He pulled out his watch and looked at it put it back in the pocket without telling me, winked at the others as he did so." I said " Well its's time I was getting out of there, anyhow." Then I bade them good bye and told them I would see them tonight. This was something I had never done before. They all responded good naturedly. When I left, Van Vasseler was mixing the explosive to place in the cartridges and the other two were packing them. Van Vasler was acting as foreman in the absence of Minam (?) Harwood of Kawkawlin, the regular foreman, who was taken sick last Sunday, and is still confined to his home. The cartridges being loaded were what are known as 40 per cents, seven of eight inches long and an inch and a quarter in diameter. When I felt the shock I realized what happened and was thankful for my escape."
The factory started up March 24, and Halligan began work yesterday morning. He had previously been employed in the factory and when he quit last year he said that if he ever worked in a plant of this kind again it would be when he couldn't get a job anywhere else. Weaver and Van Vasler had been employed at the plant for several years.
The Cause of the explosion will never be known. Everything appeared to be all right when Link left the plant. The explosive is carried from the factory to the packing house through a two inch pipe. It flows into a vat where the mixing takes place, and Van Vasler was engaged in this work when Link left. The explosion might have occurred from the improper mixing of the stuff, spontaneous combustion or dropping of a pailful on the floor.
Among the first to arrive on the scene were Mrs. Weaver and Mrs Halligan, who were attracted by the explosion and at once started out to ascertain if their husbands had been harmed. When they realized the extent of the calamity that had befallen them the women were crazed with grief and the scene which followed was heartrendering. Finally they were led from the scene and taken to their homes.
As soon as they recovered from their first horror at the scene before them the spectators began picking up the fragments of bodies and placing them i a heap. There was no means of identification, for the men were blown all to pieces, being literally blotted out of existence. The fragments of their bodies that could be found would scarcely fill a half bushel basket.
Van Vasler's wheel was in the factory near the door. It was found about 200 feet from the packing house, the frame being bent out of shape and the wheel a total wreck. One of the tires was hanging from a tree 100 feet from the scene of the explosion.
Weaver is survived by a widow and two children; Halligan, a widow and three children; Van Vasler, a widow. The latter was married about two years ago.
Van Vasler was 23 years old. He was married March 23,1899. His widow was found last night at the home of her parents, Mr and Mrs Allen, 705 State Street. She had been out to the scene of the explosion and found several fragments of what had formerly been her husband's clothing. Two weeks ago last Monday they had started housekeeping at 714 King Street, West Bay City. Mrs Van Vasler said her husband was a member of Kawkawlin camp of Foresters and carried $1000 insurance in the order but she would not get the benefit , as the policy prohibits work in such dangerous places as he was employed. Van Vasler's parents live at Bedell's corners in Kawkawlin township.
This is the fourth time an explosion has occurred at the works. The first was about seven years ago, the second two years later, the third two years ago and the fourth yesterday. Two men were killed in one of the explosions. The explosions have always occurred in the factory proper and yesterday's was the first time the packing house had blown up.
The glass fronts of several stores in the village of Kawkawlin were wrecked by the explosion. Koffman's general store suffered the greatest damage, this being the second time he had been a victim of an explosion.
Coroner Van Tuyl went to the scene. On arrival he found that Justice of the Peace Page of Kawkawlin had impaneled a jury and set the inquest for last night.
The inquest was last night adjourned until this morning in Justice Page's office.
Source Bay City Times April 1900
IN ONE GRAVE
Victims Of Dynamite Explosion Buried Sunday
The funeral of the victims of the dynamite explosion took place from St Mary's church Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock, the edifice being crowded with friends of the three unfortunate men. There were 75 vehicles in the funeral procession, which left the village at 5 o'clock. The remains were placed in one casket and interred in the new Calvery Cemetery, situated in a grove on the banks of the Kawkawlin River, opposite the village.
Source: Bay City Times April 1900
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William Weaver =married, age 27 Years 2 months and 29 days, Place of Death: Monitor Township, Accidental Dynamite, B.P. Michigan, Occupation: Laborer, Father: Joseph Weaver, Mother: C Crenion.
Source: Bay County Death Record # 6024
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION
At The Dynamite Works Near West Bay City Yesterday.
THREE MEN KILLED
Their Bodies Were Blown To Atoms and Strewn For Two Hundred Feet
Bay City News
The inhabitants of this and Bay City were startled yesterday afternoon about 2:30 o'clock by a terrific explosion which rattled windows and shook buildings to their foundations. It was surmised by many that the report came from the direction of Kawkawlin but nothing could be learned from that place as the telephone service was out of order. After considerable delay word was received from the McGuires house in Kawkawlin that the packing house at the dynamite works had been blown up together with three men who were employed in the building.
The dynamite works are situated about three and a half miles out of West Bay City on the Kawkawlin road. The plant consists of a mixing house, packing house and a storehouse. The packing house was situated about 100 rods from the road and stood at a considerable distance form the other buildings. The building was a one-story frame structure 26 feet wide and 40 foot long and contained no machinery other than the packing tools. It was in this place that the three men, Edward Halligan, William Weaver, and William VanVasler met their death. All three men leave wives and families, the first tow living in Kawkawlin and the latter in this city. Halligan worked for a short time last summer in this position, at which time the packers narrowly averted an explosion. Immediately after that he quit work there remarking at the time that he would never work in the place again. He kept this vow until this morning when he was called upon to go to work to fill another man's place who had been taken sick. Halligan consented to go and had been at work about six hours when the awful explosion occurred.
It will never be known just what caused the accident The men were all required to wear rubber boots while at work and it may be that they were careless in this respect or had something on their person that scraped against some of the dynamite which became ignited. A teamster named Link had just left the building a minute before and noticed nothing wrong while he was with the men in the packing room. Link had got but a short distance from the building when he was knocked down by the force of the shock. He returned to the place immediately to find that all that was left of the building and contents was a sprinkling of splinters, paper and human flesh which covered the ground for a distance of 200 feet. A large oak tree which was standing near the building was torn from the earth and carried 75 feet away. The explosion left a large hole nearly 30 feet deep in the found directly under the spot where the building stood. The plant is owned by H.H. Thomas of Bay City. This is the third explosion that has occurred in the present location, the first one happened some years ago and the next one last summer. Fortunately, no one was hurt at either of these explosions, the men escaping from the first one just a minute before it occurred.
The dynamite is put up in bars ten inches long and one and a half inches in diameter and is packed in boxes which hold fifty pounds of these bars.
The remains that could be found of the three men were collected together and did not quite half fill one of these boxes. The men's families are prostrate with grief over the affair and are left helpless as they were entirely dependent upon these men for their subsistence.
H. H. Thomas, the owner of the plant lives in Bay City and was at home when the explosion occurred. He left for the scene immediately.
Source: Saginaw Evening News: Saturday April 21, 1900 p.11
THREE MEN KILLED
Dynamite Explosion at Kawkawlin Resulted Horribly.
BODIES BLOWN TO ATOMS
Trees Torn to Splinters and Houses and Stores Wrecked.
Widows of the Men Gave Way to Violent Grief.
Explosion Caused By Dropping a Pail of Dynamite on the Floor.
Bay City , April 20- The packing house of the Ajax dynamite Works , at Kawkawlin, was blown up this afternoon, at 2:10. Three men were killed.
William Weaver, married, two children
Ed Halligan, married, four children
W. M. Van Vasler, married , one son.
Weaver and Hallan were residents of Kawkawlin, and Van Vasler of West Bay City.
Their bodies were blown to atoms, nothing but pieces of flesh and clothing being found. Trees were uprooted or torn to splinters. Houses and stores in Kawkawlin were wrecked. It was a scene of awful desolation and heart sickening horror. When the widows of Weaver and Van Vasler came a few minutes after the explosion, they gave themselves over to the most violent grief and became frantic. Their shrieked were agonizing. H. H. Thomas , of this city, owns the works. This was the fourth explosion in seven years. It is believed the explosion was caused by dropping a pan full of dynamite on the floor.
The explosion was distinctly heard and felt in Bay City.
Source: Saginaw Courier-Herald Saturday April 21, 1900 p6.
INTERRED TOGETHER
Remains of Victims of Dynamite Explosion In One Casket.
Services Held Yesterday.
Coroner's Jury Return Verdict of Death By Accident.
Bay City, April 25 - The Coroner's jury which investigated the death of the three men killed by the dynamite explosion in Kawkawlin returned a verdict that their deaths was due to an accident, in the absence of evidence to the contrary. The victims were all members of St. Mary church on the west side from which the funeral was held at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The remains of the three men were placed in one casket.
Source: Saginaw Evening News Monday April 23, 1900 pg 7
TORN TO PIECES
Their Lives Snuffed Out By An Explosion Of Dynamite.
Packing House At Thomas' Works Blows Up.
Ton Of High Explosives Suddenly Lets Go.
Men Working In Building Meet Quick Death.
Down Cities Shaken By The Awful Concussion.
Remarkable Escape Of Driver Reuben Link.
Just Left Packing House When Shock Came.
Cause Of The Disaster Will Never Be Known.
The Dead. Wm Weaver of Kawkawlin. Edward Halligan, of Kawkawlin. Wm Van Vasler. of West Bay City.
The packing house of the Ajax dynamite works of H. H. Thomas, on the Kawkawlin River, within fifty yards of the stone road and near the village of Kawkawlin, was blown to pieces at 2:45 yesterday afternoon, and only a huge hole in the ground marks the spot where the building stood. Three men were blown to atoms, the fragments of their bodies being scattered for 100 yards in every direction.
The packing house was 16 x 24 feet in size, one story high, made of rough boards. It was about 800 feet south of the factory. In the packing house at the time of the explosion was between 800 to 1000 pounds of dynamite. This great quantity of explosive stuff suddenly let go, with awful results.
The shock of the explosion was felt in the Bay Cities, being more pronounced on the west side of the river, where buildings trembled and stock to the stores was shaken from it places. A reported fro the Tribune was at the corner of Michigan and Lin Streets and divining at once that the explosion was at the dynamite works he mounted his wheel and started for the place, being the first outsider to reach the scene.
The explosion had completely obliterated the packing house. Not a vestage of the building remained. A huge hole , fully 15 feet deep and 30 feet across, bore tribute of the awful force of the explosives. Trees in the vicinity were uprooted , and some broken off as though by an axe. Fragments of the limbs of these trees were strewn all over the neighborhood and the scene was one of desolation.
The horror of the affair slowly dawned upon the little crowd of onlookers, which was being steadily increased. Fragments of human flesh hung from the trees near where the packing house had stood. A piece of two inch pipe , about 10 feet long, which carried the liquid explosive from the factory to the packinghouse , had been torn from its fastenings under ground and twisted into fantastic shape, being found on the Kawkawlin road fifty rods from the scene, and near it a small portion of the hip of one of the unfortunates who had as suddenly perished.
Four men working at the plant during the afternoon. They were William Weaver and Edward Halligan of Kawkawlin, Wm. Van Vasseler of West Bay City and Reuben Link, whose home is in Sanford, Michigan. Link is the teamster who hauls the explosive from the factory to the market. He had just left the packing house fro Bay City with a load of the manufactured products. He had reached the stone road about 50 rods from the building , when the explosion occurred. He immediately jumped from his wagon and ran behind the magazine near by, peering out from his shelter. Everything was in the air when he looked, and the fragments of the building and its occupants began to fall to the ground, Link's only thought was to escape injury from the flying debris.
"I had not been out if the building three minutes," said Link, "when the explosion occurred. Just as I completed loading I asked Halligan what time it was. He pulled out his watch and looked at it put it back in the pocket without telling me, winked at the others as he did so." I said " Well its's time I was getting out of there, anyhow." Then I bade them good bye and told them I would see them tonight. This was something I had never done before. They all responded good naturedly. When I left, Van Vasseler was mixing the explosive to place in the cartridges and the other two were packing them. Van Vasler was acting as foreman in the absence of Minam (?) Harwood of Kawkawlin, the regular foreman, who was taken sick last Sunday, and is still confined to his home. The cartridges being loaded were what are known as 40 per cents, seven of eight inches long and an inch and a quarter in diameter. When I felt the shock I realized what happened and was thankful for my escape."
The factory started up March 24, and Halligan began work yesterday morning. He had previously been employed in the factory and when he quit last year he said that if he ever worked in a plant of this kind again it would be when he couldn't get a job anywhere else. Weaver and Van Vasler had been employed at the plant for several years.
The Cause of the explosion will never be known. Everything appeared to be all right when Link left the plant. The explosive is carried from the factory to the packing house through a two inch pipe. It flows into a vat where the mixing takes place, and Van Vasler was engaged in this work when Link left. The explosion might have occurred from the improper mixing of the stuff, spontaneous combustion or dropping of a pailful on the floor.
Among the first to arrive on the scene were Mrs. Weaver and Mrs Halligan, who were attracted by the explosion and at once started out to ascertain if their husbands had been harmed. When they realized the extent of the calamity that had befallen them the women were crazed with grief and the scene which followed was heartrendering. Finally they were led from the scene and taken to their homes.
As soon as they recovered from their first horror at the scene before them the spectators began picking up the fragments of bodies and placing them i a heap. There was no means of identification, for the men were blown all to pieces, being literally blotted out of existence. The fragments of their bodies that could be found would scarcely fill a half bushel basket.
Van Vasler's wheel was in the factory near the door. It was found about 200 feet from the packing house, the frame being bent out of shape and the wheel a total wreck. One of the tires was hanging from a tree 100 feet from the scene of the explosion.
Weaver is survived by a widow and two children; Halligan, a widow and three children; Van Vasler, a widow. The latter was married about two years ago.
Van Vasler was 23 years old. He was married March 23,1899. His widow was found last night at the home of her parents, Mr and Mrs Allen, 705 State Street. She had been out to the scene of the explosion and found several fragments of what had formerly been her husband's clothing. Two weeks ago last Monday they had started housekeeping at 714 King Street, West Bay City. Mrs Van Vasler said her husband was a member of Kawkawlin camp of Foresters and carried $1000 insurance in the order but she would not get the benefit , as the policy prohibits work in such dangerous places as he was employed. Van Vasler's parents live at Bedell's corners in Kawkawlin township.
This is the fourth time an explosion has occurred at the works. The first was about seven years ago, the second two years later, the third two years ago and the fourth yesterday. Two men were killed in one of the explosions. The explosions have always occurred in the factory proper and yesterday's was the first time the packing house had blown up.
The glass fronts of several stores in the village of Kawkawlin were wrecked by the explosion. Koffman's general store suffered the greatest damage, this being the second time he had been a victim of an explosion.
Coroner Van Tuyl went to the scene. On arrival he found that Justice of the Peace Page of Kawkawlin had impaneled a jury and set the inquest for last night.
The inquest was last night adjourned until this morning in Justice Page's office.
Source Bay City Times April 1900
IN ONE GRAVE
Victims Of Dynamite Explosion Buried Sunday
The funeral of the victims of the dynamite explosion took place from St Mary's church Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock, the edifice being crowded with friends of the three unfortunate men. There were 75 vehicles in the funeral procession, which left the village at 5 o'clock. The remains were placed in one casket and interred in the new Calvery Cemetery, situated in a grove on the banks of the Kawkawlin River, opposite the village.
Source: Bay City Times April 1900
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