Statistically speaking, most accidents happen in the home. Statistically speaking, humans often do silly things without thinking. Sometimes, these silly things cause tragedy. In 1925, a resident of Augusta Street, Nassau, New Providence, would do something that today, would earn him a place on the Darwin Awards for stupid deaths. Theophilus C. Huyler bought home a box of dynamite from work. He was quickly buried the same day he died.
January 20, 1925
Nassau Guardian
AUGUSTA STREET EXPLOSION
Injured Man Dies In Hospital
Theophilus C. Huyler, who has injured by the dynamite explosion on Saturday afternoon, died in the early house of Sunday morning and was buried the same afternoon in the Western Cemetery in the presence of a large number of mourners and friends including several representatives of the Board of Trade. This is the second fatal accident to an employee of the Board of Trade in a few months.
Mr. Huyler left his work on Saturday afternoon and reached his home in Augusta Street with a basked to dynamite with which he intended to blast some rock down west. His family were in the yard when he arrived and went inside. In a few minutes there was a violent explosion and a great hole was torn in the side of the house. People rushed in and found the room had been wrecked and Huyler was lying on the ground terribly injured. Both his legs were smashed, also one hand, one eye was completely gouged out and the other was full of glass splinters. There was a hole under the chin and many wounds on the body.
Assistance was immediately forthcoming Mrs. A. H. B. Pearce rendering first aid until Dr. Pearce arrived, and Huyler was conveyed to the hospital where two legs were amputated by Drs. Pearce, Culmer, Albury and Graham. He bore the suffering bravely but succumbed at two o’clock in the morning.
The house after the explosion presented a sorry appearance, beside the hole in the south side of the house, the floor was ripped up, part of the ceiling fallen out and the partition split. All the window casements had been blown out and every scrap of glass shattered.
There was no inquest but the Coroner, Mr. R.W. Pritchard is conducting an enquiry.
