Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-08-11
FUR Their OF THE EXPLOSION AT
CITY POINT.

Cause of the Casualty-Depot, Post Office,
Adams Express, and other Offices De-
stroyed-Many Citizens lkjured-Names
of some of the Killed and Wounded
Firing at the Front-Our Gunboats at
Work.
a letter from City Point, dated August 10th,
says, about IL O'Clock yesterday, a noise, re-
semblipg the explosion of a magazine, was
heard at headquarters OF the Army Of the Po-
tomac, and many surmises were INDUCED as
TO the direction from which it came and its
cause.
During the afternoon word came that a boat
loaded with ammunition had exploded at CITY
Point causing a frightiul loss of life. On the
correspondent Of the Associated Press reach.
ing the scene of disaster, a spectacle was
presented to him utterly INDISPENSABLE:
buildings demolished, tents thrown down :,
horses killed, the depot building, lust
completed, mass Of ruins; while the
ground for hundreds OF yards was covered
with property of almost every description
Inc dead and wounded had been extricated
from The ruins and carried back, the former
for burial and the latter to the hospitals
boat loaded with yarious kinds OF ammu.
milton was being unloaded by the negroes of
the u uartermastsrs Department, nearly hun
ored IN number, and the only theory advanced
as 10 tn cause of the calamity is that a shell
must have been dropped by one of Them tn as
communicating the fire to the entire mass The
noise lasted about thirty seconds, as witnesses
say, and the shock was felt long distance.
On the side Of The road In front of the landing
were located number of stores and off ces:
among them The Post Office and Adams EY
press, which were almost utterly torn down,
escaping with slight bruises .
In re ar OF this is q steep bank covered with
rents Oh Its summit, occupied chiefly by the
coloIed latorers and their families Had the
ground been level, the loss of life would no
doubt have far exceeded that which resulted
Sseils, balls, etc struck the bank in a pertect
shower, while the ground in the vicinity il
actually covered with all kinds of stores a
debris. "
a beat loaded with these stores was lying
sloDesloe another. and WAS torn to pieces, g
large portion being raised completely out of
lhe WAFER and thrown though the storehouse
en- the deck.
Captain Benedict and Captain Ames. OF the
Commissary Department, were in tie building
al the time, and were buried beneath the ruins.
After considerable labor they were extricated
Ircm their perious situation neither being
1aisily injured. though good deal bruised.
tent quite distance from the spot was struck
In The head by piece Of shell and injured,
tho On not dangerously. His clerk, Mr.. J w.
Mckee, was 80 seriously injured at the same
time that he cam OF recover.
A M Baxter, citlssn, from Cold Spring,
New York, was killed. He kept soda water
stand. SEQ
Privatss Ansell and Metcaik of the Fifth
cavalry, were killed. A Sergeant, named Har
ris. in the Ordnance Office was injured and
died soon after. Lieu tenant Lane, OF the Cav
airy Depot, was slightly injured, as was also
citizen. named Wright. James Throp, clerk
in the Ordnance Office, killed. Mr.. Foy, of the
sanitary Commission, slightly injured, and
Richard Stone, citizen. killed.
Mrs. Spencer, relief agent, received slight
injuries.
The casualties are believed to be at least so
killed and nearly 100 wounded number Of
bo.ies of coicrtd persons have been found,
besides those above mentioned, and there are
10 in the post hospital, while others are scat.
tersd in different localities. Twenty-Five
colefec men, more or less wounded, were taken
the colored general hospital, under charge
~ 'r! Ca hcun, where several amputations
80 performed.
Eys ellis passed through the roof of the
SANITARY o. mmissicn boat, but no one upon il
was injured
II is beiieved t. many bodies were blown
In tie river. which will Lever be reco verea.
Csptaip Schuyler, provost marshal, who was
sitting On top of tie bank under his Nv, was
thrown a distance OF ten OF twelve feet, receiv-
nP shower OF shells around him, butescaped
" uout a scratch.
The ioss is put down by him at about thirty
kDltd AGO seventy or eighty, wounded, twelve
OF the killed being soldiers
No hug has been discovered as the cause OF
In The c, N mi. ssry Department six mon are
known 20 b. hier. and some twenty-five
wour ded. Twe,' .e men belonging to the rail-.
The loss OF nronerty is not known, but will
prove 70 b yery Largo. The 2Oth New York
lost six '.Nled and seventeen wounded, and the
I>eth ,bio lost three killed and four wounded
me 6ost Lewis, fire and wrecking tug, rsn
hsborr, end extending her hose snrsw 81
thrs ssytsg the entire ammunition In tn
Considerable firing Is going on as the lor
this moFnipgl One OF the gunooss 0pene.
during the night, and threw o NUMBER Q
shells at what was supposed TO be movinl
rebel force. -
RTber~ seems to be the possibility OF
hSesk.pp N The recent governmental arrange
,~sats MADE IN Oar ada for reconciling sections
arnerrr c4s by an application OF the federeti v
nyaeSpte 70 the Constitutional system OF IN