The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1876-04-13

bOulders, and huge CHUNKS OF concrete, Ce-
scendsn on portion of the 18th, 18th,
18th, 18th, 10Th. and Goth wards, crushing
through roofs, ploughing into the gardens
and streets, and striking to death at least
two persons.
THE POWDER MAGAZINES.
As The desperate panic subsidized little,
and people began to collect their senses and
compose themselves for anything that might
follow, dense clouds of smoke arose from
Arsenal Hill, and spread with tine velocity
of wind over the city. For the first time
people had definite idea of the cause of
the unearthly roar that had assailed their
ears. They saw AT a glance that the maya
zines on Arsenal Hill had exploded. There
were four of these, all grouped together,
about one mile northeast of Temple Block,
or the heart of the city. The magazines
were substantially built OF stone or concrete.
The doors we're iron, the roofs of metal, and
they were regarded as absolutely safe de-
positories for powder. In the four maya
zines
ABOUT FORTY TONS OF POWDER,
Including Hercules, Giant, blasting and
sporting powder. of this amount, about
four tons was Hercules. 1t is not known,
and will probably remain a mystery, which
of the magazines exploded. Two explo-
sions occurred SO nearly at the same instant
that the double report could barely be dis
tinguished. There are numerous theories
az to what caused
THE FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE.
Tie one most likely to be correct is the
following: Wednesday couple of young
men-Cbarles Richardson and frank Hill
went up City Creek canon to drive some
cattle. They were returning by way of the
magazines, and whill near the latter, were
seen to fire at some cranes that were flying
over. The discharge of the gun was in
stantly followed by the explosions. 1t may
have been that the boys shot at one of the
magazine doors, causing a conclusion suffi-
cient to explode the Hercules and Giant
powder 1t has been the careless and most
Teprehensible and dangerous practice ever
since the magaz mes were built to make
rifle and pistol targets Of the doors, some Of
which bore the indentations of scores of
bullets. Whether or not it was this prac-
tice that occasloned the explosion, fear
full lesson has been taught, and at terri
bic price of lives and property. The mag
azines were completely demolished, and the
material of which they were constructed
scattered for miles IN all directions. Not
one stone laid on top of another, and where
the buildings stood, deep holes were torn
in the earth.
1t is definitely known that four persons
were killed, and il is believed that others
have persisted. Hundreds of men, women,
bows and girls, were on the ground within
.ftar tha
search was instituted, and soon a mangled
foot was found. Next was discovered
HUMAN SCALP WITH HAIR ATTACHED;
piece of flesh from the thigh was then
picked up, and afterwards another foot in a
boot, with portion of the leg attached, and
the toes and part of a third foot; bits of
flesh, some weighing only an ounce or two,
and others two or three pounds, and other
parts OF bodies. Pieces of clothing were
also found. The flesh and rags were scat
tered over an area of half mile. Portions
of the clothing and bodies picked up have
been recognized "a those of the young men
and Hill. The former was
eighteen years of age and the latter sixteen.
Mrs. Mary Jane Van Malta, wife of J. ii.
Van Malta, 18th ward, was pumping water
at the we'll of Mr.. Winberg, opposite her
own residence, when . boulder struck her
in the back, killing her instantly. The
rock passed through the body, horribly
crushing and msngling it. The boulder
had been thrown at least three-quarters Of a
mile from the magazines.
SOME OF THE INJURED.
The Herald says that not half the cases of
l1s. ,r.rrol Ia
ated. Numbers we're knocked against walls,
others were thrown to the ground uncon-
scious, many were bruised and hurt, and
not few we're hurt by falling stones.
Among the injured are Charles johnson,
Mrs. Peter Thommas' son. ID. P. Kimball,
Master Collett, and Mrs. Dahlquest. These
were severely injured. They lived in diff |
ferent parts Of the city, and some we're
struck by boulders, others by bits Of iron,
ard others by wooden missiles. Besides |
these, scores OF others were more or les |
bruised.
The loss in glass cannot be estimated. |
in the shape of glass on Main |
street was demolished. Scores of huge |
plate windows, valued at from $50 to sou |
each, were crumbled into fine bits.
With a single exception, the elegant
French plates in the Deseret Bank and
Sharp's building were broken. The Walker
Houre, Townsend House, and other hotels,
lost hundreds of dollars in glass plate.
Hundreds of residences were left With
'carcely = whole pane of glass in then.
There are very few houses within . mile
md . half Of the explosion but suffered in
his respect, while many we're greatly
damaged otherwise. Walls were cracked
md Others thrown down. chimneys demol-
shed, doors were broken, and furniture and
.rockery destroyed. S. Johnson's house, in
he nineteenth ward, is = pretty complete
vreck, a. regards doors, glass and ceilings
huge boulder cut Its way down through
Ion W. W. Hooper's residence, and the
Ioors fell from their hingea George Sa-
lilies house, in the twentieth ward, was
completely demolished by the shock and
hover Of boulders together, the family BE-
ng absent. The Hzuid states that several
Iouses which cost from 5000 to 5000
ach are completely ruined. The Empire
nilI, mile from the scene of the explo- /,
ion, was levelled to the ground, and q score /,
{ other buildings, some near and some dis I
ant from the magazines, were blown 70
inders- In view Of the appalling nature Z
the accident, it seems almost miraculous
hat 50 few. comparatively, were killed or
INJURED.
It raised stone, iron and wooden missiles I
q the northern part of the city. A huge
oulder fell through the roof and upper
cor of H. p. Kimbalis house. Another d
'eighing about twenty pounds crushed {
trough the roof and ceiling Of Colonel
ages residence, falling on . bedroom
DOR, where it lodged. One struck . plak- Q
ak at the Desert university, went through /
Ne boards, and buried iiself in the earth. Q
rock weighing l Is pounds fell through :
ne roof, ceiling, and floor of Shineleton's Z
I!ooa, opposite the theatre, and sank four o
ct in the ground beneath. This rock had Q
IN hurled more than mile through the i
r. IN