Did your cousin live in Idaho? My nephew, who is a cop in Saint Maries, responded to a call just like that.
Holy smokes word gets around! Yeah that's the one. Still no pictures of the cannon, but I've heard they were also loading it with acetylene. 1/2 a pound of powder (no idea the granulation), blow a few seconds of acetylene down the vent and then light the fuse.
I've been told two other people were injured, one had minor burns and the other guy went deaf for a while before gradually getting some hearing back.
Since he's regained some vision (thank God) this soon after the injury, it's likely his eyes will heal well.
Unfortunately (from what I've been told) the burns and powder go down into his cornea. He can make out an 8" tall E at 2 feet with one eye and 4 feet with the other, but that's about it. They said they might be able to do a cornea transplant in a year once the eyes have fully healed. At least the burns are healing well, but practically loosing your eyesight must be horrible.
It's kind of hard to think his injuries are lucky until you think what could have easily happened.
Yes it could have been worse, too bad it didn't turn out like Zulu's post.
This accident is spurring me into making some sort of infographic that outlines the major safety tips in making and shooting cannons. The stickies on this board are a great resource, but I think there could be a definite use for something easier to grasp.