Two Iowa Boys Roasted to Death-1876

GROOMS, MCNEIL

Posted By: CHERYL MOONEN (email)
Date: 6/8/2018 at 22:09:30

Dubuque Daily Times, Tuesday, Oct 31, 1876, Dubuque, IA, Page: 1

Two Iowa Boys
Roasted to Death

At Frederic, Iowa, last Sunday, Johnny Grooms and Lawrence McNeil, each aged fourteen years, concluded that Sunday at home was to monotonous and started out for some fun. Wandering to Stewart’s coal bank, they found a keg of mining powder, with which they filled their pockets, and going about a half a mile further built a fire, for the purpose of throwing powder into it, to see it flash. Each time they took a supply from their pockets, more or less was spilled, a part of which remained on their clothing. By and by the blaze followed the train of powder back to one of the boys’ pockets, and exploded it, and simultaneously that in the pocket of the other boy, who was standing beside him. Both boys were hurled some distance in the air, nearly all of their clothing burned off, and they were literally roasted from head to foot. McNeil died Tuesday night, and Grooms on Thursday.