Linus Alford Shively was born on 21-Aug-1876 in Lansing, Ingham County, MI and died on 4-Dec-1901 in Ishpeming, Marquette County, MI. He was killed in an explosion at his place of employment. Linus was the son of Joseph Franklin Shively and Alice A. King. (For more information and Joseph and Alice see the Shively blog article written on 12-January-2014). Linus was married on 2-Mar-1898 in Ogemaw County, MI to Flora Belle Weber. Belle was born on 17-Feb-1878 and died on 27-Feb-1937 in Springfield, Greene County, MO. She was the daughter of Isaac Jerome Weber, Jr and Helen G. McBain. Belle married a second time to John H. Hughes. John H. Hughes who died in Nov-1962.
Located on the 1880 Jackson County, MI census is the family of Frank Shively age 31 a farmer, wife Alice Shively age 26 and son Linus age 4. On the 1900 Presque Isle County, MI census is the family of "James" F. Shively born Jul-1848 age 51 a carpenter, wife Alice born Jun-1854 age 45, son Linus born Aug-1878 age 23 married 2 years and daughter Pearl born Mar-1881 age 19. Linus is also listed on the 1900 Ishpeming, Marquette County, MI census in the household of his father-in-law, Isaac Weber, as follows: Linus Shively born Aug-1876 age 23 married 2 years, wife Bell born Feb-1878 age 22 and son Carlton Shively born Dec-1898 age 1. On the 1910 Garfield County, OK census is the household of Joseph F. Shively age 61, wife Alice A. age 55, daughter-in-law Bell W. Shively age 32 and grandson Carlton W. age 11. Found on the 1930 Springfield City, Greene County, MO census are John H. Hughes age 41 and wife Belle W. age 41.
The following newspaper article was found by Michael Shively who is a descendant of this family. The article was located in The Daily Mining Journal, Thursday Morning, December 5, 1901, Page 6, Column 2:
Powder Works Go Up
Packing House Of Anthony Powder Co. Wrecked And Two Men Killed
The people of Ishpeming and Negaunee were startled yesterday at 4 o'clock by the noise of an explosion, when the packing house at the Anthony Powder company's works, located between the two cities, was blown up. Many windows were shattered in the business portion of Ishpeming as well as at other places. Within a minute or so after the explosion hundreds of persons were on the run toward the works. Teams were driven down in haste and the wildest kind of excitement prevailed for a time.
Two of the workmen were killed their bodies being torn to atoms. The victims are John Nelson and Linus Shively. The head of one of the men was picked up about two hundred feet from the building.
The structure burned to the ground. Some of the buildings near the packing house were badly twisted by the force of the explosion. The engine house was almost completely wrecked. Reuben Smith, a lad almost seventeen years of age, was in the engine house when the explosion occurred. He escaped with but a slight scalp wound. Two other boys, Nelson Wallenstine and Victor Nelson, both the same age as Smith also got away unhurt.
No one can tell just what caused the disaster, but it is supposed that the glycerine got a jar of some sort as the men were engaged in filling the caps. There was about a ton and a half of giant powder in the building and it all went off.
No attempt was made to put out the fire as it was not any too safe to go near it, owing to explosives being stored in the buildings near by.
The home of Charles Ruska, night patrolman at the works, was badly wrecked. None of the inmates sustained an injury, but it didn't take them long to get away from the placed after the packing house went up.
Manager D. McVichie of the Anthony Powder company was on his way home from Palmer when the mishap occurred. He saw the smoke rise and knew at once what had happened. Mr. McVichie was about the first to arrive at the scene and he at once put men at work tearing down the structures near the wrecked packing house to keep the fire from reaching them.
Richard Moody and the driver of the delivery teams were at one of the ware houses near the tracks, nearly half a mile distance from the scene of the explosion, unloading goods and they escaped unhurt. They were at the packing house a short time before.
A new packing house will be built at once and the damaged buildings will be repaired.
Both victims of the explosion were married. Nelson leaves a widow and five children. He was about forty five years of age and had worked for the company about three years. Shively was employed as a teamster at the works. He was about twenty four years of age and leaves a widow and one child. He had been a resident of this city about a year.
The last previous explosion at the works occurred nine years ago. It was not attended by an fatalities. Some twenty years ago, before the concern came under the management of the present owners, an explosion took place in which four men were killed.
The following newspaper obituary was found in the Springfield Leader And Press, Springfield, Missouri, Sunday, February 28, 1937, Page 6, Column 4: (Note: per birth date she was actually 59 when she passed away)
Mrs. Belle Hughes
Mrs. Belle Hughes, 49, 1058 East Belmont, died at 8 o'clock last night in a Springfield hospital after a lingering illness. She had been an employee of Netter Dry Goods company for 15 years in charge of the second floor. Surviving are her husband, Jack Hughes; one son, Carlton Schively of Texas and her mother. Funeral arrangements, under the direction of Alma Lohmeyer, are incomplete.
The following was extracted from the Springfield Leader And Press, Springfield, Missouri, Saturday, November 10, 1962, Page 7, Column 5:
John H. Hughes
John H. Hughes, 74, Wichita, a former resident of Springfield, died Friday in a Wichita hospital after a long illness.
He was a retired display advertising representative, a veteran of World War I, and a member of the Baptist Church.
The body will be returned here to the Herman Lohmeyer funeral home for services and burial.
