from The Republican (Danville, Indiana)--issue of Thursday, July 7, 1898—page 1, column 6:
Elvin Harper Killed
Elvin Harper, member of the First Heavy Artillery at Key West, son of Richard Harper, of New Winchester, was instantly killed Monday by a premature discharge of a cannon. He was engaged in firing a ten-inch muzzle loading cannon which had not been used for a year. They had fired one shot and were ramming home a second charge of twenty-five pounds of powder when it was ignited by the burning shred-casing of the first cartridge. The man at the vent was unprovided with thumb-stalls and the blazing gas burning his thumbs, he lifted them and the charge exploded. Harper and a man from Monroe county named Kimmell were standing in front of the gun. Their bodies were thrown twenty yards into the sea and were literally blown to pieces. The remains were gathered up and at sundown were buried not far from where rest the bodies of the victims of the Maine.
Mr. Harper was better known in this community as “French” which was his middle name. He was an excellent young man with many friends. He enlisted in the army about a month before the war opened and the recruiting officer at Indianapolis is quoted as saying he was a young man of more than ordinary intelligence. The family is prostrated with the sad news and they have the sympathy of all.