Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-08-19
Terrible Explosion At City Point
Two HUNDRED MEN KILLED AND
WOUNDED.

TGStInUtlS tue bAplOeloh VI "
was heard at headquarters oFthe army
of the Potomac. During the afternoon,
word came that boat loaded with am
had exploded at City Point
Landing, with frightful loss of life and
great destruction OF property. Buildings
bad been demolished, tents thrown down,
and horses killed in every direction
The depot building, just completed, was
a mass of ruins, while the ground for
hundreds of yards was covered with pro-
perty Of every description.
On the side of the road in front of the
landing were located a number of offices
and stores, among them the post-office
and Adams express office, which were
almost utterly thrown down, the large
Of persons occupying them mi
raculously escaping with slight bruises.
In rear of this was steep bank, cover
ed with tents on the summit, occupied
chiefly by colored Iaborers and their
families. Had the ground been level
the os s would have been greater
Shells, balls II d shot of every kind
struck this bank in a perfect shower,
while the ground in the vicinity is actu-
ally covered with all kinds of stores
A large number of old saddles and pieces
of harness are among the debris. A
boat loaded with stores lying along the
side was torn to pieces, a large portion
being raised completely out of water and
thrown through a storehouse on the dock.
The boat Lewis caught fire when wreck
ing; a tug ran ashore, and extending
her hose threw six streams on the fire,
putting out the flames, saving a
large amount of ammunition.
SOME OF THE CASUALTIES.
Capt Benedict and Capt Ames of the
commisslry department were in the
storehoue on the dock which was des-
troyed and W ere buried beneath the
ruins. They we're at last extricated and
were found to be not fatally injured but
badly bruised. Capt D. D. Wiley, who
WAS in his tent quite a distance from the
dock was struck in the head by a piece
of shell and injured, though not danger
ously. Mr.. Mckee, his k, was
severely injured and cannot recover
A. NJ. Baxter, citizen from G o d
Spring, Y. Y, was i | | e d.; Sergt
Harris in the ordnance department ia
tally injured and has since died Lieut.
Lane of the navy slightly injured, a
citizen named Wright slightly injured /;
James Thorp, in ordnance office,
killed; Mr.. Fay, of the Sanitary Com
slightly wounded r C h d
Stone, citizen, killed Mrs. Spencer,
relief agent, slightly wounded. A num-
Der Of bodies of colored persons have
been found besides those above mention
ed, and there are sixteen in the post hos
pital, while others are scattered in differ
ent localities. Twenty FIVE colored men,
more or less wounded, were taken to the
colored general hospital, where several
wer g performed. Five
shells passed through the sanitary COM
mission boat, but fortunately no one on it
was injured. 1t is believed many bodies
were blown into the river which W |
never recovered. Capt Schuyler,
provost marshal. who was sitting on the
bank of the river, was lifted up and
thrown a distance of 10 or u feet, re-
csiving a shower of shells around him
but no injury. In the commissary de-
partment six men are known to be killed,
and some % wounded. Three men be-
longing to the railroad were injured
The Goth New York regiment lost six
killed and IL wounded. The l4Sth Ohio
lost three killed and four wounded. The
whole number injured is variously esti-
mated, the killed being reckoned at 80
to so and the wounded at 80 to 100
Many of those wounded will die and the
entire list of casualties will be about 200
As rapidly as possible tn e de a d and
wounded were exTicated from the ru-
ms, and all the wounded we're cared for
at the, hospitals.
TIE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION.
A boat loaded with various kinds OF
ammunition was being unloaded by ne.
groes of the quartermaster's department,
nearly a hundred in number, d the
most probable theory advanced as TO the
cause of the calamity is t b at a she'll
must have been dropped by one of them,
thus communicating fire to the entire
mass. The noise lasted about thirty
seconds, witnesses say, and the shock
was felt for long distance. A court
Of inquiry has been called to investigate
the matter. The loss of the government
will amonnt IN S20OOOOO.