Las Cruces News: A horrible accident oc-…
source date: 1889
availability: public-domain

Las Cruces News: A horrible accident oc- curred at the Modoc mine, in the Organ Moun- tains, last week, which resulted in the death of Roland Adams, or, as he was more commonly known, “Bob” Adams. At about half past seven o’clock in the morning Mr. Adams and W. E. and Joe Herd were sitting at the table in their cabin, having just finished their breakfast. Adams was smoking his pipe and opened a nearly full box of giant blasting caps. It is sup- posed that a spark of fire from his pipe fell into the box of caps, for just as he was replacing the lid the entire box, containing about 80 caps, exploded with terrific force. Mr. Adams was horribly injured by the explosion. Both of his hands were blown off, his eyes destroyed, his bowels laid open and two of the caps penetrated