The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-01-15
Powder Explosion.


The L Isl Saginaw Courier ofthc
4ih contains the following account
oi the destruction of the store and
residence OF Mr.. G."rye A. Alder.
ton, in Saginaw CITY,. b. tho
explosion Of u quantity Of gun
POW Ter:
~ es'erday at nb ut 400 p. M.
fearful catastrophe took place
in Saginaw City, in the EXPULSION
Ut Il can OF gunpowder ina gro
Gerry store, by which Il child
was instantly killed an several
persons severely in nrcI.
:. The bald hg Is situated upon
Perry stree, in the Fourth WarL
and is II two story building, occn-
pied Oh the second Il or by Mr..
Geo. a. Alderton aud family,
consisting "t himself, wife, and
two chlIdrc', respectively aged
four years, and Il babe VI n'Ee
month. The lower portion of tho
building WAS used as gr'ccry
aud feed store ny Mr.. Allar,oL
aud the buiIIiny WAS owned 81
Gerrgc Gardner.
About tour clock Mr.. Adler
ton was in the store Tor the last
time and sold half II pound ct
powder to Il customer. He had
the powder in II wentv five ound
lnayaZ ne can, such as arc gener-
ally USED, and placed 1t il, It's ac-
cn-t"mcd position in recess un-
der tic window. lie had occa-
sion to unload IL qnan Try OF feed
AT the railroad, leaving his wife,
w. n. Williams, a clerk OF his,and
Manic, his child, who WAS killed
in the store. About the time men
,imed he heard teri iiiic noise
and saw his store uil ton t.,
pieces f.um where he stood.
Mr.. Williams IS Il 81 TX fr
Mr. Aldcrt"n, aud s'alcs tina,
about 400 p. ~. he was stand
| i,y close To the doc. o. tsid :,
tn kins with Mrs. Al ler,on, WIN
WIS Immediately b,hinL him.
There was no one in tho store
except the child, Minnie, who
WAS playing behind the 'nn e,
in close proximity to where the
pow dcr.can stood. All ut once
he heard the noise Of the expo
sion, and found himself surrounded
Nv u blazu III fire all around hi u
and cloud ot slae colorcd smoke
Ilu does not remember much
more, as everything was instant
aneously d,nc. There Was u
large number of people in the
sto'c few minutes previous t.
the explosion, brt nll hal LETT.
The supposilion ct NJ. Williams
is that the top had been left of
the can, or thar The child had
managed to nnscrcw il and dr. ,p-
ped lighted patches in j., rs there
was no light or fire in tho store
ut Tic time. Villains is la lily
cat about the head, burne! upon
the neck AMI hart in tn. lip.
james Kelly, who lives clos
by, had just lcf' the store and got
across tho street when the OK. To-
sion took place. The debris was
scattered all around him, and,
upon turning he observed Mrs.
Aldcrton running toward HIM
with her clothes all in flanee.
With much prrsel CO of II ind he
ut once took of his coat anI en-
veln,ed her in it,cx'inguishcd Il Q
flames, !ut not before the woman
was severely burned. ALMOST
Immediately after the explosion
the building t"ok fire, but by
prompt etlorts of'he people who
hurried To- the scene Of the disaster
the fumes were suMlurd before
they gathered any hca,lway.
Tho horror stricken father, as
sisted Ivy the sympaihiziny by
s'anlor-, I,r'ccedcd immediately to
scared. arnung t;'e ruins TOR the
bodies If his clnl,llcn. Tho cid
est, Minnie, WIS found close To
Ia where tbs can Ut powder orig
inaliy stood. dead AM terribly dis
Fl surcI. The other, u babe was
IN lis cradle ny stairs, aud was
Ennd attached by its clothing to
fragments If the eplinfcrcd wand
totally unhurt, having been thrown
out of The cradle and saved by n
seeming nirGcle.
Tie explosion threw ont oil
The cast side aud front of the build
ing, leav NJ but ono eide and the
rolf remaining. Yirc ruin could
not he more complete than it "a,
ms the remaining part ISIS, linfcre'l
throughout. Tho whole ground
for q considerable distance around
the scenc 1T The calamity Is strcwn
\ will, iuur. crccEtis, etc,