Person:Ephraim Ferrier (1)

_DCAUSE: Explosion of Dynamite

News article, August 31, 1905, pg. 2, col. 5

Two Men Instatnly Killed

By an Explosion of Dynamite at Robertson Kilns near Milton.

A terrible fatal accident occurred at Robertson's limestone quarries, four miles from Milton, on Friday afternoon by which two employees, Hilson and Ferrier, wereinstantly killed by an explosion of dynamite.

They have been drilling during the day, and Ferrier had gone to the magazine to get the dynamite necessary to use in blasting the rock. Ferrier was the regular dynamite man, and Hilson met him as he was bringing over the dynamite. He had about a dozen sticks of the explosive in a box, the sticks being in the usual candle form, wrapped in rough paper. Ferrier appears to sit down on or near the box, and take a knife and begin to cut a stick of the dynamite into pieces, one-fourth of a stick being used in each hole drilled. Whether he struck his knife on a rock or not can never be known, but ignition occurred and a terrific explosion followed, all the dynamite exploding. When the other employees, fifty years away, reached the scene of the explosion, they found Ferrier almost blown to pieces and Hilson at his last gasp.

Ferrier was 30 years old and leaves a widow and three children. Hilson was about 55 and leaves a large family nearly all grown up.

No inquest was deemed necessary, and the double funeral took place to Milton on Saturdary afternoon, there being a large turnout, as the me were well known. Much sypathy is felt for the families.

Ferrier, Ephraim, News, appeared in Canadian Champion, 31 Aug 1905, page 3, column 4 Two Men Killed?About 3 pm on Friday Ephraim Ferrier and Robert Hilson were killed by a dynamite explosion at the lime works of D. Robertson & Son, on the CPR, 3 miles west of Milton. Ferrier, who had handled dynamite for three or four years had drilled three holes for blasts. He was in the habit of keeping a small supply of dynamite at the quarry, but in this case he found that it had been exhausted. He went to where the main supply was stored and brought back a fresh lot, no one knows how much, but perhaps ten or fifteen sticks. He carried them in a box, in which there were also some caps and a piece of fuse. He set the box on the ground and began to prepare his three blasts. Hilson, who was employed as a teamster, had just loaded his wagon with stone. He walked over to where Ferrier sat and stooping over him, began a conversation. The men were about 100 feet away from other workmen. There was an explosion but no one can say what caused it. Ferrier?s body was thrown about 30 feet. Both his legs were broken and mangled and his body was more or less bruised and burnt. When other men reached him he was breathing his last. Both Hilson?s legs were broken backwards at the knees. THough he was not as badly mangled as Ferrier, he died in a few minutes. He spoke once and said he was dying. He was about 55 yeards of age and left a large family most of whom are grown up. Ferrier?s age was about 30. He left a young widow and three small children. Both were steady, hardworking men. Hilson?s family asked for an inquest, but Coroner McColl saw no necessity for calling one, as the death of the men was purely accidental and no one but themselves were responsible for it.

Ferrier, Mr., News , appeared in Acton Free Press, 31 Aug 1905 , page 2 , column 5 TWO MEN INSTANTLY KILLED By an Explosion of Dynamite at Robertson Kilns near Milton.

A terrible fatal accident occurred at Robertson?s lime stone quarries, four miles from Milton, on Friday afternoon by which two employees, Hillson and Ferrier, were instantly killed by an explosion of dynamite.

They had been drilling during the day, and Ferrier had gone to the magazine to get the dynamite necessary to use in blasting the rock. Ferrier was the regular dynamite man, and Hillson met him as he was bringing over the dynamite. He had about a dozen sticks of the explosive in a box, the sticks being in the usual candle form, wrapped in rough paper. Ferrier appeared to sit down on or near the box, and take a knife and begin to cut a stick of the dynamite into pieces, one-fourth of a stick being used in each hole drilled. Whether he struck his knife on a rock or not can never be known, but ignition occurred and a terrific explosion followed, all the dynamite exploding. When the other employees, fifty yards away, reached the scene of the explosion, they found Ferrier almost blown to pieces, and Hillson at his last gasp.