Iowa Old Press
Rock Valley Bee, July 28, 1905
A FATAL ACCIDENT
Otto Stensvad Loses His Life at the Hull Creamery by a Premature Explosion of Dynamite
Somebody blundered – made a terrible bungle in the use of a stick of dynamite Wednesday about 11:30 a.m. in an effort to blast out some stone in the well being drilled by Doon parties near the Hull Creamery. Otto L. Stensvad lost his life in his young manhood because of the terrible accident. The explosive was dropped into a piece [of] four inch tubing ten feet above the ground. It dropped about eight feet (two feet above the ground) when it went off, driving pieces of the piping in all directions, but most of them were hurled with terrific force through the sides of the creamery into the engine and testing rooms of the institution. The window in each the testing room and the engine room was blown out. Pieces of iron shot through the sides of the building with such force that they were hardly deflected from their course of destruction. Otto Stensvad and Mr. Curtis were at work in the testing room when the explosion occurred. Both were badly injured, Otto internally and Mr. Curtis in his shoulder.
Jake Eppinga had just stepped away from the same spot where Otto received his death blow. The large drill stood against the tubing and protected the drillers, but one piece of iron was driven through a 4x4 brace used in the frame of the derrick – hard wood at that.
Dr. Lass was called. He at once pronounced the injuries very serious and told Otto so. Otto calmly remarked that he realized the seriousness of his condition. Dr. Cram of Sheldon was sent for. He came at once and preparations were made to make a thorough examination of the poor boy’s injuries. Hardly was he placed upon the operating table before his eyes closed in death. For nearly three and one-half hours he lived after the sad accident. Had he not have been in rugged health, he would not have lived more than one short hour.
Otto Laurence Stensvad was twenty-five years old and had but two years more in the university of Minnesota before graduating. He was a favorite among his classmates, especially among the football boys of which he was one. He was a manly fellow, a young man of professed Christian principles, whose last testimony was “I am not afraid to die; I am prepared to go.” Always cheerful, always intelligent, whether at study or play, Otto Stensvad was a young man possessing those qualities of heart and head that makes his loss a personal loss to all those who knew him.
His brothers and sisters all fairly worshipped him and to them this is a sad, sad blow. His remains were taken to New Richland, Minnesota, Friday morning where they will be interred by the side of those of his mother and sister, Ida, whose death occurred about one year ago. The Bee will contain his obituary next week.
Hull Index, July 28, 1905
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT AT HULL
One Man Killed and Another Badly Wounded
Wednesday at about 11:45 a.m. an explosion at the creamery resulted in the death of Otto Stensvad and seriously wounding J. L. Curtiss.
It happened about this way: Ed. Knutson is drilling a well for Rud Stensvad at the creamery. They had reached a depth of 25 or 30 feet and had struck a rock, and is their custom was trying to blast it with dynamite. They had put in a stick, properly fused, and notified the boys of the shot. Supposing that everything was all right, as had been the previous shots, Otto and his companion went to the window of the testing room in which they were working to watch the mud and water shoot up out of tubing which stood up out of the ground about ten feet. Instead of going to the bottom the dynamite lodged in the tubing about a foot from the ground, where it exploded sending many pieces of the tubing in every direction—one striking Otto in the lower abdomen and another hitting Mr. Curtiss in the left arm.
Otto was immediately taken to his brother’s home and Dr. Lass called who instantly saw that it was a serious case and telephoned Dr. Cram, of Sheldon. Dr. Lass did all that could have been done to relieve and sustain Otto till Cram arrived and arrangements were made to probe for the metal, but before they could begin operations, Otto at about 3 p.m., passed to the great beyond.
The doctors probed in Mr. Curtiss’ arm for the piece of iron, but could not find it, and as it was up near the shoulder joint they decided, on account of its dangerousness to take him to Sheldon and use the Xrays to locate it.
[Several lines smudged out; the rest of this paragraph expresses sympathy to Rud and other relatives.]
The remains were shipped to New Richmond, Minnesota, this morning where they will be laid by the side of his father and mother, Rud and his family accompanying them. Otto was a student of the University of Minnesota and a promising life has been suddenly cut off.
Alton Democrat, July 29, 1905.
Otto Stensvad an employee of the Hull creamery and a brother of the proprietor died Wednesday afternoon of injuries received that morning in consequence of the premature explosion of a stick of dynamite. Well diggers were engaged in boring a four inch well for Rud Stensvad proprietor of the creamery. A stick of dynamite was dropped into the piping to dislodge a stone at the bottom of the hole. The charge lodged in the piping two feet above the ground and exploded driving pieces of the piping in all directions.
Otto Stensvad was busy washing testing bottles in a room next to the well. Several pieces of the pipe were shot into the roof one of them entering his right breast. J. L. Curtis another employee of the creamery received a piece in the shoulder making a painful wound.
Physicians were summoned and both men taken to their homes but Stensvad in a few hours died of his wounds.
LOCAL OCCURENCES.
Alton friends will regret to hear that the death angel has visited the home of Joe Brunsmann at Remsen and taken away their fifteen months old babe. Scarlet fever was the cause of its death and the home is now quarantined as another child is ill with the same disease.
[transcribed by L.Z., Jan 2020]