Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2018 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Detroit Free Press August 1, 1899 SIX KILLED AND THREE WOUNDED TERRIBLE ACCIDENT CAUSED BY EXPLOSION FARMERS WERE THRASHING NEAR WHITE PIGEON (sic) BOILER EXPLODED AND VICTIMS WERE BLOWN TO PIECES TOOK ALL DAY TO GATHER UP THE GHASTLY FRAGMENTS Accident Said to Have Been Caused By Low Water THE DEAD: CHARLES HAIGHT ALPHA HAIGHT CHARLES CRABTREE CECIL PRIEST BERT SALTERS RAYMOND HOWE THE INJURED: GEORGE OVERLY, badly mangled and will probably die. OSCAR EVANS, leg broken and badly cut. GEORGE HAIGHT, two ribs broken and cut about the face and hands. GEORGE HAIGHT, CHARLES CRABTREE and BERT SALTERS were all farmers with large families, the others being young unmarried men. White Cloud, Mich., July 31. -(Special)- Six men were killed outright and three more seriously wounded to-day at the farm of CHARLES HAIGHT, seven miles east of the village of White Cloud, by the explosion of a thrashing machine engine. The men had been working in the vicinity of the HAIGHT farm for several weeks and last night came over to thrash HAIGHT'S wheat. They obtained and early start this morning and were all busy, when suddenly, without warning, there was a report which was heard for mile around and every one of the men at work was knocked off his feet. About a dozen farmers, including old man HAIGHT and his three sons, were at work upon the machine. Most of these were hit with flying pieces of the thrasher, which was completely demolished, pieces of it going forty rods away and not enough of it being left standing for identification. The separa- tor was also blown to pieces and completely wrecked. The grain and straw stacks caught fire and the blaze spread to the barn, but was extinguished without special damage. The house also caught fire but the fire was put out. The men who were not injured got to their feet quickly after the explosion and rushed to the assistance of their comrades. Four of them were dead when found and two others died within in hour. One more is so badly injured that he will probably died and two others have severe injuries. CHARLES HAIGHT, owner of the farm, was standing close to the engine when it went up, and he was thrown farthest, being badly mangled and death being instantaneous. TERRIBLE SIGHTS The noise of the explosion attracted a great crowd of farmers for miles around and all the afternoon and evening the people were coming and going. Some of the victims were blown to pieces so badly that it was evening before all the ghastly fragments were gathered up from the surrounding field. The bodies were all carried into the farm- house and the injured were made as comfort- able as possible. The only explanation of the accident which is offered is that the water in the boiler must have become low. The men who were near enough to the engine to know anything about this were all killed and nothing about the condition of the machine can be learned. OSCAR EVANS, who was working upon the straw pile taking away the straw as fast as it came on, says it all happened so quickly that no one had a chance to escape. He had his back to the engine when sudden- ly there was an explosion and something struck him in the back, carrying him off the stack. He was partly stunned by the blow and fell and regained consciousness to find his leg broken. GEORGE HAIGHT and others tell about the same story. The scene at the farmhouse to-night was a heart-rending one. The widow HAIGHT re- fused to be comforted over the loss of her husband and son, and the relatives of all the dead and injured added to the general sorrow. ==========================================================================