Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-04-01
The Cleveland POwder.Mill ExplO'
sion.

AT about fifteen minutes after one
O'Clock Tuesday afternoon our entire city
was startled bya succession OF terrific
explosions, by far the most severe ever
known here Three distinct shocks oc'
CURED within the space OF less than a
minute, followed by another tremendous
report fifteen minutes later. The effect
of the explosions was wonderful,
Houses were shaken as If by the hand
OF giant, and tens of thousands of peo-
pie rushed wildly into the streets, many
imagining that the buildings were coming
down over their heads. In some sections
for few minutes great CONSERVATION
prevailed.
The buildings of the Austin Powder
Company were scattered over about
eighty acres of land along the banks of
the canal. The mills, of which there
were ten, were frame structures, built
as chcaply as possible. There were other
buildings, however, that were erected at
considerable expense, for example, the
large brick engine house near the center
Of the grounds The Office of the com
pany was frame building constructed
at but slight expense. The firm has had
in its employ about thirty men, over half
that number being generally engaged
abou, the works. When the disaster oc-
CURED there were fortunately but
twelve persons in that vicinity.
The explosions originated in what was
known as the rifle corning mill, situated
in deep ravine, at considerable dis
lance from the remainder Of the build
ings, and it would seem that an eXplo-
sion here would have been less likely to
cause trouble than if the powder at any
of the other mills had ignited David
Lamson, man having wife and one
child, and aged about forty years, was
the only person employed in the mill,
and rs he was instantly torn to pieces
it is impossible for anyone to learn the
cause Of this first explosion. From the
corning mill the flames spread with q
brilliant fash to the press mill, which
exploded in second, being followed by
the glazing mill and five mixing mills,
separated from each other by considera.
blc distances.
Robert Shurtlifle, one of the men en-
ploycd by the company, informed our
reporter that he would never forget that
dreadful day. He said he was csrpen-
ter by trade and had been engaged for
several days with John Trotters erecting
small frame building to be used for
storage and other purposes. When the
series Of explosions occurred he was
pounding nails into the shingles on the
roof He was dealened and stunned for
an instant and when he came TO his
senses he found that he was lying on the
ground with heavy plank resting across
his back. On eXtricating himself it was
some time before he could see through
the dense smoke sufficiently to escape
across the canal on The ice.
The force Of the shock was indicated
by the effect of the explosions on the
railroad tracks ot the company that ran
from one section 81 the grounds to the
other The tracks were torn up and
twisted in every conceivable manner,
and rails We're broken from their fasten
jn1S and whirled in all directions, several
Eycing found on hili mile away. The
head OF a powder key was picked up over
. "A mile and half from the scene of the
. explosions.
The saddcst sight witnessed on the
grounds WAS the collecting of the re-
mains of the men who had been blown
zap. In one locality hands and arms
were found portion of n leg was dis
covered somewhere else; CHASTITY trunk
without legs, arms or head was found
near one of the ruined mills; here was a
piece of mans tongue, and there was tc
be seen spectator, drawn to the place
by curiosity, bringing liver on large
chip to deposit with the other portions
OF the bodies that had been collected.
Windows and sash were broken, among
them being some of the finest lights il
the city. The largest was that IN The
new CITY Hall, ON Superior street, it
value being 81 200. The next in sl2,
WAS the light in the front of Ryder's ar
gallery. Both of these were insured
Hundreds OF others were shivered il
fragments. One in Rheinheimer'S, il
the Standard Block, Euclid avenue; Rlc
& Burnett's, in the Euclid Avenue Block
two in CARROTS Hall building; two in
Il Baldwin & Co 5 store, Superior street
one in the front OF +. b, Hale Il Coz
hank; one in the Striehingcr Block, oI
Michigan street; and on Broadway an
Woodland avenue GLACIERS will have wor'
Tor several days Besides the brcahin
oi large panes in stores, many priyat
dwclhng.houses suffered seriously by III
severe concussion. --Cisrel1Hd Hcpdlo
Nafch IL