The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1840-06-25
TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION.

Tie Alton Telegraph OF tile 23d III.
lives the following account:
little before twelve o'clock, on last
n ednesday night, the citizens Of Alton
,ere aroused from their slumbers by an ex.
rIosion lncomparably louder, as well as by
:, more destructive, than the discharge Of
one hundred pieces Of the heavles, ordnance.
Immediately hurried toward,
Stale street, from the direction Of which the
,cnort seemed TO have proceeded; wheo i,
uas ascertained that il Was oecasloned "
tho blowing up Of the powder magazine, cit.
na,cJ on tho southern declivIiy Of the bluff
\ lew rods west Of the penilentiary, ard
containing at the same iime upwards Of SIX
,ons N powder. To describe with some DE-.
Gree of mnutcnoss the damage done by tbs
Catastrophe, would Gil several columns q
~, journal. Suffice il, therefore, TO re.
MAX in general terms, that scarcely one
suole building, within the ,hickly settled
pafts of the city, remains unlnIured; and
,hat some Of those nearest the site Of tie
MAGAZINE have been literally reduced 10 !
heao oC runs. Chimneys demolished
roofs started aud nearly blown oh-@indoSt
and window frames shiyered 10 aioms-afl
anon, the results Of the explosion. Buf
although fragments d, ihe stones Of who
naua 3
= ,iad been Constructed Wet
STIea Nth reslsllcss force 10 every dlrec
ton, some Of them 10 tho distance Of up
wards Of mile, performing houses, %,
o,euhroSing every thing which stood /.
their way, no life hos been lost, nor, so a,
az our Information extends, has any seriou
nlurv been doue 10 the person Of any ote
OF the many hair breadth escapes shei
have cone 10 our knowledge, VIC lnay hnei
Is notice the following MIR, J. H. Hodge
aud hs wife we're sleeping IN their house 8.
Market street, about one thlid Of q ulh
from the magazine. 4 piece Of stone, SUI,
posed to wcigh about fifty pounds perioral
cd the roof Of their dwelling, and forcing il,
way through the garnet floor, descer5el
-Iauaug direction ~iihm few inches
lhcir heads, and broke through the pai..
ton iuto 40 adjoining room al,hou, doa,
either 81 them The lcaA, injury. Mrs 1o-
husou aud Der daughter were 10 ike nan
uer asleep the same bed al ikeir resldcrt,
on 'lm;d street, having between iheu /
child about two Years old belonging 10
gentleman II this place Who bad losi ID
wilc--of whom Mrs. T. Vas taking care
Seeing the llash, The worthy woman, alarm
cd ur ITO safety 81 her precious char.4
diuie.y slalched II up aud lugeed /
20 her bosam whcu heavy stone, bursrr
through Tie building, Eel! between mo.tsi
aUd daughter, ~ the very place pre,ogAy
occupied by The child, without touc II
either # lhcm. Another large fragmca I
stone forced rs way ~ like manner lhcu.A
,he building occupied by Tie family Of VI.
l. Clifford, on State street, and fell 10 d,
corner Of lower room where his chlllna
had slept Tor several months past b., hs
wlle, by some unaceouuiable imrelse, b.r.
ine moved their led a few hours pfeyiosay
to different part Of the house they al q
cared unhnrt Two young girls, vh.s
names Hc have not heard, were also sless.
M IN The sauc bed, IN another part Of ~
c,'v, Hhcn a heavy stone fcil immedia,t,g
brtweens chem, slightly gruztng The inbs II
onr, but mhictlng DO material inIuy q
either.
The belief universally prevails that q
Explosion WIS the work OF some dcspcng
'Huan % villains bat although every ela
'lun has been used tor The detection q Il
perpetrators, they still remain undacaC.
ed, 'lwo individuals we're taken Do &
suspicion on " cdaesIay, bot discharged j.
Ter bethg subjected to a rlgid caaminalrs
Ito evidence suficJent 10 lBstify Their b
'rnlIou being brought forward against thte.
4 fc~afi OF $500 has been offered by a
Common Council far The apprehension 81
conviction Of the offenders. The damages
done io JuiId,ugs aud other properly Ny nj
explosion are estimated at not less lali
SO Oh0