ARENAC COUNTY INDEPENDENT
September 23,1915
Explosion Kills Two Men Two Delano Farmers,
Robert Smith and Emmett Griffith, Have Fatal Accident with dynamite.
As a result of a premature explosion of 20 sticks of
dynamite, the lives of two well known Delano farmers were snuffed out last Thursday.
Emmett Griffith and Robert Smith were blowing up stumps and
had set down on a log to rest a moment. Near them was a pail containing 20 sticks of
dynamite, a quanity of dynamite caps and fuse.
They both were smoking and the supposition is that a spark
from one of thier pipes fell into the pail and caused the explosion which occurred a few
minutes after they had seated themselves. Griffith had both legs off near the thigh and
otherwise mangled.
He lived for only two or three hours after the accident.
Smith had one leg and one arm blown off and suffered other severe injuries. He died about
5 o'clock that afternoon. both men regained consciousness before they died and told the
same story as to how the accident occurred.
The funerals were held Saturday and Sunday. Griffith was 26
years old and leaves a widow and one child. Smith was 19 years old and single. The
sympathy of the entire commmunity is extended to the bereaved relatives.
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