Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-03
a Terrific Explosion.

day evening the city was siakcu as BY an chlth
duke by q terrific explosion, which vas traced
TO the group OF great Touring mills in what la
Known as The ''Paiorm,' Just above St.
Apthony's Fails, where The entire Touring
district Of the city is concentrated. The ex-
plcsiou camc from the great Washturn mill,
from which a column Of fame was saa1 to
spout I'D several hundred feet, followed BY q
crash which crushed the immeose structure like
an egg she'll. Secondary explosions Instantly
destroyed Thompson and Hoyt and Humboldt
mills, and flames Immediately burs! out, com.
mupioatirg to tho Galaxy Mills and those tt
PtttiI, Robinson 4 Co.. Cahill, Ankeny q 70.
l.. Day Il Sons, Day & ROLES. Buell., Newton
| l. Co., GortoD, Hayward e Go. The Wash
burn A. l. Is. Mills, and lts,er structures,
| down the bank of tho river nearly 10 the Min
| ncapuiis ADD St. Louis Railroad shops. The
destruction from tho shock Of tho explosion
extended much further, glass being wrecked
for several tqnarcs and buildings shaken
throughout the city.
ct $50 the fro WAS raging within these limlt',
| and iiremen working Vsliantly to subduo tho
flames, The Immediate theory Of the explosion
it that it took place in tho gas generated in :hs
| Patent Mddlings Purifier process Tho loss OF
! life is undoubtedly great. but lull details Hro
lacking in tho confusion that surrounds tie
scono, First ru,nors made the dead seventy to
eighty, but thisis not borne cut by inquiry. Ire
explosion took place at tho hour of changing
day Tor night hands, and MANY OF both Wero I'M
doubtelly in the building.
| The number Of dead is placed al sO9onleon.
| Many thrilling incidents and narrow escapes.
Daniel Day was blown tho whole length Of
Petit & Robinson's mills and through the rear
window, and escaped
One poor fellow who could not DO recogn:z ID
had escaped alive from the explosion and Was
observed crawling through the darling, hungry
flames towards tho tack Of tho Minneapolis and
ST. Louis Road directly inthe rear OF the Wash ::
burn Mill. He managed TO reach tho rail- and
there. evidently, became eYhaused and loil bach
into the raging hell behind, where his sgonlcs
instantly ended
Il now appears most of the day force had gone
home, and only thu smaller night force 70.
NAMED. The loss to property is enormous, but
tho confusion is too great for intelligent est-
mate ut present. Rough calculation places 1t u.
81, go 900, Of which orc million will TALL upon
tho milling interest The loss throughout tho
city by breaking Of g!nss etc Is SlO. GO0. FlTo
mills and q planning mill wero. destroyed, be.
sides adjoining property, including 81 out Il the
| ~ runs OF Stone in the city,
ST. PAUL, MIMI, May 81 a. m.--rhp
, shock of the explosion at the Waahburu1 Mill,
in Minneapolis, WAS plaioly felt here and the
flames were seen. creating iutcnso excitement
Throughout. the city. Pieces OF charred rool,
paper, ANAL limbers aud cuders were picked
IN having baen hurled in the air by the eXpIo'
sion and waited here, nine miles distant, by the
wind. News OF the disaster was received l!n.
mcdatrly by telegraph aud fire rnglncS 'acr2
made ready to 5tud to the soone but Inability
to secure transportation prevented thelr arrival
10 hlnneapolil 10 time to be Of use. There
were ID trains 10 that point after the DeWi Vas
received, but hundreds of people wcat ~ BY
road, the livery stables being 1mptled 10 au
hour.
M1NNEApoLIs, MIMI, May b u. m.--
Tie Touring mills which were involved III the
disaster here last night form 4 group which
comprises the heaviest conceros iii The State.
Chief among them were the two Wash5aCn
mills, The property 81 eX Governor g. Wash
turn, Of Wis, Ct which the one III which the
explosion occurred was the largest touring TOLL
10 the country and the largest, but one, 10 the
world II was built in 1910, included forty one
1uu &: stone aud Was worth 5000, 900. 1t Is now
a smoking mass oil ruins with it, comrsolons on
tue ''riattorm." The destruction Is complete
20 fer IS the limits above named aud serious
witL.u much wider bounds The flames are
!. sill raging 10 the ruins. but ere uader control
r and 40 farther extension 10 feared.
At this wlitiog it is hoped The dead SlE be
confncd to the fourteen mcn:loncd. a. II the
Washburne nill.
M1SNEAroLts. MINI, May 3.-Tbc follow
ing is lis! CT tho mills destroyed with the
pumbor Of runs L! stone ir cach. WashbuTu
a, II rua;; Galaxy, II ruEs; llcnuern or
Diamond e rup:; Humboldt, { runs; Petit,
R9boson 4 20. :, ljrunS; ,nith, G ruus. The
Waslturn Nil! vas operated by a. Christian
Il Co.; Humboldt, ty Ball, Newton 4 Co.;
lIenncpn. by Gortou, Haywood i Co.. Galaxy,
by Cahi Ankeny L Co.; Zenith, bS Day,
Roos e. Co.. and Petit. Robinson Il &c. i, by
themselves. In addition TO these mills there
were numerous other bulldogs destroyed by
lire i'cluiiug large elevator and blaming NIL.
MARRIAGE CEREMONY INTERRUPTED. MIR.
James Elder and Miss Martha Chatter were
married III the Pamropo IN. J.) Methodist
Epscopal Church gu TueadaS evening". Somc
young men Of tie place had con4pired to make
the occasion one for series OF practical jokes,
which were carried cut, to The great annoyance
Of the brs party. 4 wire had been attached
to the fire bell, and cannon was placed in the
rear Of the church. within six feet OF where the
minister stood. as the Gu,sts were approach
inp the church, scurriIous circulars We're dis
ribued and carried into the church. Al the
ceremony Was about to be begun one OF the
conspirators entered Tue bridal coach aud d.
rected the driver to drive TO the La Tourctte
House of Bergen Point after mythical guests.
AZ The clergyman Was about to pronounce the
couple man and vile, al given signal, tho bell
was rung and The cannon was fired, creating
great Consideration 10 the church. The minis.
ter dropped his book and forgot TO make the
final declaration. Tho coach was kept away 80
long that the bridal party was compelled to
walk TO the depot. Warrants were issued for
the arrest O.! the ringlcadcrs Bait. Am.
ABOUT GOVERNORS. There arc but four
States in the Union where the Chief Magistrate
is elected annually They are as follows, with
the amount Of salary appended :-Maiue, salary,
50 500; Massachusetts,, $1,000; New Ilamp
shire, 81, 900; Rhode Island 1000. The fol-
loving States have terms of two years: Ala.
bama, salary, $1,000; Connecticut. $1,000;