The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-05-10
Explosion and LOsS.Of Life.
EIGHT MILLS BURNED-SEvENTEEN MEN
SAID TO HAVE BEEN KILLED.


In Minneapolis, Mimi, at O'Clock
/ Thursday evening, the ci-y was shaken as
! if by an earthquake by terrific explosion,
I which was promptly traced to the group of
/ great Touring mills, in what is known as
The Plntform," just above st. Anthony's
falls, where the entire Touring district of
/ the city is concentrated. The explosion
came from the great Wasbburn mill, from
! which a column of flame was seen to shoot
up several hundred feet, followed by a
/ crash which crushed the immense struce-
ure as though it was an egg shell. Second
ary explosions Instantly destroyed the
Thompson & Hoyt and Humboldt mills,
and flames Immediately burst out, COM
muncating to the Galaxy mills, the mills
OF Petit. Robinson & CO., CahiH Ankeny
6G Co., Day & ROLES. Buell., Newton &
Co, Gorton. Hayward 81 Co., the Wash
burn and B mills, and lesser structures
| Gown the hank of the river nearly to the
| Minneapolis and St. Louis railroad shops
The destruction caused by the explosion
extended mnch further glass being broken
for several squares and the buildings
throughout the city being shaken. At 8
P. 81. the fire was raging within these linn
it's. and the fifemen were working valiant
ly to subdue the flames. 1t is believed
that the explosion was that of gas genera
ted in the patent mlddlings purifier pro.
cess.
The loss of life is undoubtedly great, but
full details are lacking in the confusion
that surrounds the scene.
KILLED AND INJURED.
Up 10 nine o'clock the liss OF killed and
injured, so far as ascertained, is as follows ::
Big NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Henning
Fred Merrill, Clark Whburs oilers
William Leslie, Chris. Ewing machnists
o. G. SHE, Walter Savage, Patrick Judd,
Edward Merrill ; watcImeu-IIarry Hicks,
E. W. Burbank, and one unknown, all
killed.
August Smith was blown out Of the win
dow, hurt, but not killed
Diamond mill john Boyer, killed.
Galaxy mill-Joe Mantle, in the third
story, after the wall vas blown out, Jumped
into the canal and escaped unhurt,
Zenith mill-1wo men named Widstrum
and Fred. George were killed.
In Petit, Robinson & Co.'S mill Dean
Day was thrown out of the window and in
jured.
Later investigation confirms the opinion
that the first estimates of the loss of life
were exaggerated. The number OF dead is
now placed at seventeen.
There were many thrilling incidents and
narrow escapes. Daniel Day was blown
the whole length of the Petit 81 Robinson 5
mill aud through the rear window and es-
capped.
One poor fellow, who could not be rec
OgniZed, had escaped alive from the explo-
sion and was observed crawling through
the daIting, hungry flames toward the
track of the Minneapolis & St. Louis road.
directly in the rear of the WASN'T burne mill
He reached the railroad and there became
exhausted and fell back into the raging hell.
where his agonies instantly ended
1t now appears that most Of the day force
had gone home, and ouly the smaller night
force remained.
The loss TO property is enormous, but
the confusion is too great for an intelligent
estimate at present. Rough calculations
place it at $1,000, 600, of which 81, O0O, 600
will fall upon the milling interest.
The loss throughout the city by the
breaking of glass, etc, is SO 600. Five
mills and planning mill were destroyed
besides adjoining property, excluding 81
out of lS1 runs of stone in the city.
MINNEAroLIs May 4.-The number of
dead is COW swelled to eighteen, the names
of Jacob Rhodes and John Grandman be-
ing added to those sent last night. The
bodies Of eight of the eighteen have been
recovered. Ten more are buried in the
debris, of which number eight are i'm the
ruins of the Washburne Mill, one in the
ruins of the Zenith, aud one in the ruins of
the Hemboldt. Almost every semblan ce
10 humanity has been obliterHted by the
cruel heat that left only the cbarred and
blackened trunks in some cases, and in
( others only few handsful of blackened
bones which crumble at the touch Three
of the number were identified last night as
Clark Wiber, John Boyer and z. w Bur-
bank, watchmen. These andcothers were
| identified by such articles as keys knives,
&c. A 9th body is identified by the in
cidents of the death, as that OF boy named
Jacob Rhodes. II is he whose tragic death
was witnessed by the crowd on the railroad
track, and who was first supposed to be
John Boyer. The other remains are be
heved to be those of Patrick Judd Cyrus
Ewing and Peter Hobberg.