The daily mountaineer. (Dalles, Or.) 1861-1866, 1866-04-19
9ailp monntaiuccr.
Epitome of Telegraphic News.
TcOMpILrD PROM the OREGOsIAS. ]

San Francisco, April l6.-From' the Aitd'sl
proof the following particulars of terrible |
are given;:' At thirteen and "a half |
minutes past une o'clock, P: M, to-day, our
city was ar led by shock like the oxplo-
sion of some vast mine duringa siege, and |
for many blocks in every direction from tue |
northwest corner of California and Mont |
gomery streets the air was filled with dust
aud flying rubbish, and glss came rat
ting down f,om every window as if The ex
plosion had occurred in each separate build
ing The cohsternaton which seized on the
phSserS by Wells, Fargo h Co. s was terrible.
Men, women, children, horsemen, pedeStr
;rns, dray aud express teams, without drivers,
came charing pell NELL down the street in
mex ricable confusion. AS soon rs the first
panic began to subsiic, there was an im-
inense rush toward Wells, Fargo Il Co.'s
buildings, and the stree w"re for II few
seconds so blocked up that it was almost
impossible for the fire engines to be brought
Into position to check tile flames, watch
were thought to break out in the scene OF
the explosion.
At first it was almost impossible to 'ocate
the scene of the explosion, so terrible was
the devastation and SO general was the ruin
in the vicinity, but investigations made within
IL few minutes demonstrated the fact that it
occurred somewhere in the rear of Wells,
Fargo & Co.'s buildings, on the northwest
corner of Montgomery andSalifornia streets,
and Bells Assay Office in The rear of Wells,
Fargo & Co.'s on California between Mont
gomery and Kearney stree's Our reporter
gained admission through the Union Club
Rooms over w. f. Il Co s, and on reaching
the rear a scene which utterly beggars de-
scription, met the eye. The large, one-story
structure containing the office and billiard
room of the Union Club, over the arched
gateway which leads into the rear of. w. e.
" Co.'s office, from California street, was an
entire wreck the end being blown out the floor
torn into splinters, the iron roof rolled
up like piece of wall paper, the rafsers
hanging loose in every direction, the furni
ture smashed, and billiard tables crushed by
the weight of debris. The brick kitchen OF
the ub which stood'in the rear was gone
entirely, only fragments of the timber lying
here and there among the debris which filled
the area The rear wall of Bells brick bull
ding, used as a1'assay Office, and the labor.
atory in the rear of the assay office, were
falling in fragments every minute. The roo
was hanging down unsupported on the side
next the area, and the store house of Wells
Fargo & Co. was lying mere heap ofbrck
pldSter anu DTOken mDerS. DlOOl was Wis
ible in many places, and men with heads ol
hands cut by falling glass or timbers wer'
running back and forth in franticsAarch fol
missing friends. The main and rear wall
of Wells, Fargo Co.'s building were terri
bly, shattered, while fragments of doorway
and window sashes only remained in place
throughout the entire building.
The fine horses attached to the ruins o
Wells, Fargo & Co.'s express wagon, lay il
the agonies of death in the area. Everybod
seemed stunned by the suddenness of th
shock, and no one appeared to know whic
way to turn or where TO begin. Tuere wa
not whole window for q long distance fror
the building in (which the explosion too
place, an Brannen's Block, opposite to Wells
Fargo Co.'S, on"Montgomery street, tb
Stevenson House, opposite, and mary build
ings between California and Sacrament
streets, window frame and doors were ger
orally shattered ito fragments, while hug
spliuters Of costly glass covered The street.
The woodwork of Wells, Fargo & Co.'s e.
tablishment was almost wholly blown
fragments. Even the doors were throw
outward into the street: Fragments OF hi
man remains were found scattered in man
places Here the line failed