An Accidental Blast at The Tanks
A bungled attempt to extract a stuck shell from a Winchester rifle triggers a chaotic runaway at a local camp.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Stung to the quick by a load of fine shot poured into them at close range, a team belonging to a Milton farmer ran away at The Tanks a few days ago and wrecked the wagon to which they were hitched. The shot came from the accidental discharge of a Winchester 'pump' gun in the hands of Fred Howard who was ejecting the cartridges. One stuck in the chamber and in endeavoring to extract it, the hammer fell. The result was a tremendous roar. The fine shot struck the horses in the rumps and they responded by breaking loose from the driver and dashing down the mountain side, wrecking the wagon and creating no end of excitement among campers. One old veteran of the Civil War in camp at The Tanks is said to have declared that he was going 'right home.' He had seen enough shooting in the war to last him.
“One old veteran of the Civil war in camp at The Tanks is said to have declared that he was going 'right home.' He had seen enough shooting in the war to last him.”
Accidental discharges and firearm safety remain a perennial local issue, though the rural landscape of 'The Tanks'—a known camping spot near the Blue Mountains—has shifted from open range and wagon travel to private recreational land.
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