The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-03
HEADQUARTERS U. s. FORCES,
Nav 25-3 p. n.

from him Will explain the course W 10 PW
med;
MAY 25-3 P. N.
A sad calamity has overtsken US a. an
unexpected moment, resulting In the loss
many valuable lives and 8 great destrue-
lion of property, from the explosion Of the
main ordnance depot, sn this city, at Mar
sbslPs warehouse. Whether this fearful
was the work of foul incendiArles,
Or the result of carelessnees, is for Us to de-
Lermine. Stringent measures will at once
be taken TO fix the responsibility upon the
guilty parties, and bring them to summary
punishment.
Brigadier General Dennis will immedi-
ately place guards to insure safety to both
and soldiers, and all persons are
to remain quietly al home till no
danger is apprehended.
y. GRANGER,
Major General Commanding.
It is impossible to arrive at present at
definite information of the number of
lost. We think, however, thst two hun
dred will scarcely cover the number, exclu-
siye of wounded. Men werethrown down
seriously injured at the distance of
half 8 mile from the explosion.
Many persons are knownt TO be buried be-
meath the ruins, and the commanding Gen
ersl has employed all available labor to
those still alive.
All prominent buildings, from st. Louis
street up, including Water, Commerce and
Front Streets are about completely demol-
ished.
The steamer Kate Dale was lying at the
wharf, opposite shippers Press, and with
another steamer, was torn to pieces, and it
is reported every soul on board Of them
was lost.
The shock made the city tremble ike
an aspen, shaking every building to its
foundation. The crash of broken glass
wss heard in every direction, and falling
walls made the earth resound like the
rumbling of an earthquake. General
Granger and Colonel Shipley we're IN the
ground Immediately after the explosion
took place. Colonel Shipley is of the
opinion that there are st least four entire
squares OF buildings down. Too much
praise cannot be given to the officers and
soldiers for their promptness in being on
the ground, and the assistance they rem
dered in removing many sufferers.
We visited The burning ruins shortly af-
ter the explosion, in company with Colon
ell Shipley, and witnessed q scene which no
tongue or pen can describe, or imagina-
ton conceive. Four or five blocks, entire,
we're one conglomersted mass of ruins,
two thirds of which were on fire, while
every two or three seconds shells exploded
md asAsuaoats and hnllats -hisTl9d
through the air, which prevented the
brsvest of men from going too near.
Still all men did nobly. Added to the
flames of demolished buildings, were
burning stesmers along the levee, and
from 5000 to 10000 bales of cotton, which
rendered the scene still more grand.
Not q warehouse in that portion of the
city was left standing, and thousands of
men worked hour after hour among the de-
brls, bring forth n after another of the
writing and dead victims. We saw the
bodies of hr. McMshon, in charge of the
carpenters work ofthe Captain, Assistant
Quartermsster, and the Purser of the
steamer Laurs, which vessel was lying on.
the msrine-wsys opposite the city, who
was killed, while sitting st his desk, by q
piece of shell or brick. D
A number of bodies recovered are so
burned and mutilated that recognition is
impossible. 1t is estimated that the num-
Der killed will reach three hundred. When
it is taken into consideration that nearly
all the workshops tounderies, cotton
presses, &c, which covered the vast ares
destroyed, were employing q large number
ofmen, and from whom, SO far, no accounts
nave been received, it will be seen that our
n.N1,,aso nf Nmn hnndraA mill ha ha10- Hhn
proper figures. The bell on the guard
house rang at the time of the fire. A great
amount Of damage Is done TO the city in a
~pecuniAry point of view. We have heard
it variousiy estimated at from five to ten
million dolIars. hight squares of large and
costly buildings are completely demol-
ished.
The windows of the Custom house, on
North and Esst Front streets, are COM
pletely demolished. There il not . whole
pane remaining. This was all the damage
sustained by this building. The News
office shared the fate of all buildings on
Royal street. from Cont to the Mobile and
Ohio Railroad Depot, having its windows
knocked out glass strewn in minute psrti-
cles al over, and various partitions blown
down.
The TribRne building was made q COM
plete wreck of inside by the entrance of
= shell weighing about sixty pounds
through the roof, which fell among the
material of the office, smashing things gem
orally.
Cabs, carriages, &c, on Royal street,
were c&psized, and horses in some instan-
ces fell as if shot dead.
The shock seemed to affect the horses q
great deal more that the human beings.
Those that were not knocked down in
stsntly seemed stunned and parslyzsd.,'and
did not recover for some minutes. The
force of the shock may be imagined, when
it il known that q man named John Kav-
anaugh, q paroled Confederate soldier, was
killed instantly on board the Kate Dale by
conclusion. Not 8 mark wss visible upon
his body when taken up few minutes
after. s1. .H
On Wales street. the loss in property is
Below st. Michael street. the
doors and windows suffered most. A con-
tinued wreck meets the eye, looking up
this street, growing mora confused, and
losing semblance of buildings entirely ss
vision nears Squsres nearest where stood
LQ6 mbKaLlu61 NUulucICo bbIook1 eAo WaIc-
houses and cotton. sheds which lined the
upper portion, are now but a great mass Of
ruins.
The buildings on the corners seemed TO
suffer most, some If them being RACED
within q few feet of the ground. Various
offices and commission houses on Front
street sustained comparatively little dam.
age. On the river, tscingA doors aud
windows were all smashed and broken in;
but beyond this, the injury done them was
sligHE
re amount Of Gotten destroyed is esti-
mated at from 5000 to 10000 bales.
all that was destroyed belonged to
private citizens. Some Government cotton
was also burned =
The steamers Colonel Cowles and Kate
Dale we're entirely destroyed.
There were about two hundred tons Of
ammunition, consisting of musket-csrt-
csnnon-powder, and = large number
Of blank musket-csrtridges, and a quantity
lOsded shells, grape canister and solid
hot principally for feldlsnd siege guns.
The amount of powder, reaching fully
thirty tons, was contsined in the warehouse.
was brought from Gainesville, and is
about one-third of the ammunition surren-
Tered by the rebel General Taylor.
I'VE wish that some thorough admirer of
TafF Dsvis would answer Ms this question