Daily Advocate
Baton Rouge
May 7, 1861
We learn that Mr. McKelvy, Postmaster at Delhi, met with a serious accident on last Saturday evening, by the explosion of an anvil, with which he was firing salutes1. One of his legs was so shattered as to render amputation necessary. There are some hopes of his recovery.—Herald, Franklin parish.
- Anvil firing— is the practice of firing an anvil into the air with gunpowder. Typically, two anvils are used: one as a base (placed upside down), and another one (also known as the “flier”) as the projectile (placed right-side up, atop the base). An alternative method is to place the bottom anvil upright, and fill the hardy hole with black powder. A torus or washer, often made from a playing card, is placed over the hole, with a space for a fuse or powder trail. The top anvil is placed upside down, face to face with the bottom anvil.