An accident occurred from the use of blasting powder at this time, which is note-worthy, though not strictly an item of Ludlow history. While the railroad was being opened through the stone-cut below Cavendish station in 1849, one of the laborers, Albert Gage, in tamping the powder into a hole that had been drilled in the ledge, ignited the powder, which exploded and shot the iron bar which he had been using, through his head. The bar, which was an inch and and eighth square by four and a third feet long, entered inside the curve of the under jaw, and came out about an inch in front of the center of the cown. It passed through its entire length, and portions of the brain were found adhering to it. The bar is now in the Boston Museum.

Mr. Gage was taken to the Cavendish hotel, but as his injuy was supposed to be necessarily fatal no attempt was made to dress the wound till the following day, but he recovered, and lived ten years after the accident.

History of Ludlow, Vermont, 1949, page 119
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Transcribed by Linda Horton. Thank you, Linda!