Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-04
The .sIil.acapoIis E:rc.

lowing companies were ntnlirI j. ihc iu;u
dispatch regarding ln,ur#G.e :-Weat tn, astr,
So 500; New Hampshire. - $50; taitt I'D,
81 $50: R~v:re, 81 $50; NaWalk, 81 800; La
caise Gcneyale, So. 600; Commonwealth, s / 590
Boston UoJe.arters, $2l 900; Citi2 n Y,
$ 200; Lamar, s. 200; G;rart. IS Coo; Nes;
ern, S1,4O0; Msreb sa:a, New York. SIC $50;
R5ysl Canslian's :. So GEO; Ocicn': s $50:
Manufacturers, 81 $50; Peoples n /, sl2 0tC;
Buffalo, ST $50; Gens Falls, IS 0j0 Rochester
German, Sc 0J0; American Central, SIS 0op,
Norlhern, $3.50; Connecticut. SIS IGOi ~.
Louis, 50 $50; London Assurance, S3UO. 1he
ouIy bodies identified ara those OF Jacob
Rhodes, John Boyer asI Charles " llb"r Tho
following is the valuation OF tic mills destroyed
The Washbura. q six story building, $500, 900;
the Humboldt. $50 900; the Diamond, S3O, OCO;
Galaxy, S95 900; Z,rith, $50 900; Petit 4
Robinson, Sl25 900.
Duriog tic whole Of yesterday The sccna Of
the explosion and fire has been The c:rI;a 81
intense excitement. The ruins presented ONLY
shapelcss heaps Of stone where ,he sIH tH!!cs
DESTROYED had stood, which still smouldared.
and upon which strcam9 OF water were Kept
playing from several fire cDgiacs all day. lJHon
the platform on the south side Of the canal the
ruin is complete. except AZ 10 the Nashbnrn
mill, which sguds it sgi;t distance !r2in thc
others. % the Other lie the walls Of The
Pettelt Il Robinson mil arc standing ruin,
while the Palisada, at i. little distance, escspcd
By singular freak OF The flames. The mills
destroyed, with the number of ruos Of stone,
we're as follows Washburn,, y I'll runs Of
stones Pettett, Robinson 4 Co.. - rnos OF
stones Galaxy mill, - rlus Of stones; 4 ,nltb
mill, 6 ruas Of Stones ilenlcpln MILL e runs
Of stones Humboldt, G TUES Ct stones total
Sc ruos OF stones Beulde5 !+ese were destroyed
peltat 4 RobiDson's lumber yard, with one
million feet Of lumber; plani0g E,l'i rwocd ty
W. D. WashbeurD, loss So, 1000; riil com:
paDes' elevator, loss SCI 900 en- tuiing and
thirty thousaDd bushels Of wheat - c:rs on
the railroad track, and sevcra! small machine
shops and bulldogs. This list cmb:aces de-
struc,ion by Gro alone. The loss h sur
rounding buildings By The shock Q! the ex
plosion is material. The round house OF
tho Chicago. milwaukee, ard ST. Paul Rail-
road was hlowD down by the loic, D; The
conclusion. There WAS 80 Insurance Of fifteen
hundred dollars on the building. The tCta!
loss is now estimated at 81. 600 0O0 wh!ct raay
be decreased later. The search for the dad has
proceeded all dly as fast as the fire could b, *
tipsuished ard the ruins cooled. Up to |
0 cluck this uoruios the black AMI urrecogni2
able remaics Of aeven OF the unfortunate VIC
tins Of the Wasnburu Mill had been recovered.
These were carefully covered and carried to the
machine shop Of The Milwaukee aud 81. Paul
Railroad and deposited on the flor. At the
southern cul oI the building was crowd Of
anxious relatives waitiog 10 ilehiity the lost The
Appearance of the bones or Whist remained III
shape, charrcd bodies or little heaps OF black
ashes emitting sickculng oaor Will never be
forgotten by aoy spectator. Ooly oTc body
bore auy aembla01e Ct the huGsn form, and
even this Was horribly distorted, with the head,
arms and lees burned to a crisp or removed,
aud the truak partially eaten away by the &C
ton of tue terrific heat. This 10 believed to be
the body If Joha B>yar. The smaller rag.
ments Of bodies w,ra ranged il close proximity
to the larger i.utk above d2a3ribeh u6til saVeo
were dcppsi.ed ali .teetner Uae Of the cum
Der Was brought in an elevator BUCKET The
search was udusfTiousIy con!iuuoG all through
the afterGoon. The estimate OF the pumber of
Tue dead, based upon the bodies recovered,
those known TO b. 10 Tue nj !, and irq1ric5 for
missing, is placed at sixteen, Of which the fol
loving - 8 !s, 10 the Washbura Mill, Chaa.
Heonirs, August Smith. Carl, Wher aud
Fred. Miller, grinders. VIM. Leslie and Cyrus
Euipg, oilers; De SHE, Walter Savage, Pat.
rick judd and Ed. Merrill. machinencr; Harry
Hicks and +. W. BattaOb: wachman, aud
Charles kimble. 10 the Diamond Mill, John
Boyer In the Z ,nith Aiill, John +. Rosi
cnnua. Ia The Humboldt Mil, Peter H0Ibcy,
The smaller casualties barag, bruises, cto., are
numcror5 and further developments may ill.,
crease or decrease the ngCaber desd. Il Is not
likely that all the bodies will be recovered
from the ruiu0. Nearly all those recovered
arc more or lcsa n,ntiiItc'!. f'fagGcnts
recovered OF cnllrae cannot be ruacIl"tnd !
Later iaqury confirms the FIRST theory that The
cause Of the explosion WAS tfta ignItnn of
the irn lmmable mil dust t)a,ing 10 the air
aud he Goase Guent gca"rai!on abd aSpans!An
Of ini ITO nahic gass's.
Reports oil eye ttl"aa''3 IS III the power aud
suddenncss TT The explosion 81; almost ncreGl.
ble An .n;,ant after the frat il ;sh aud tx.
plosiou all the buildings we're wrapped in
flames: showing the air al around 10 ''@ fell 81
'nhammable gaa.
z, 9. =. Luan, Who vas =! frs. snppcs3d 10
- Lost, siycs tho following AS his cxpelIoocs
Ia was u tho tune l1okl0g tlrtctIy at the
Vashburp mil, and says that tic entire r2oi
# the great building shot upwaru like
ro,kot. enycl. >oed liz smoke and flames.
The immense was's seemed 10 raise from
their very foundations, especially or the nor!h
s s,.I side Of the building quiVcrcd between
heaven aud earth and then fell outward With
q 1caiening crash. and the rulas We're Instantly
epyalopels 10 fines. lie did not observe, any
further explosion, but Inc D:amood and the
Humbol5t nis aud the MINNEAPOLIS pIani;ng
mill c7umbicd ami 'ctl 10 tho grruod Instantly,
and he believes from the shcek aud c?Gcu7.lon
Ct the ex,lo,iJa IN the Wsshburuc Mil and at
the very instant cf the explosion as Ii appeared
to hiu the mill companies elevator, ns'o =;
6amps All lHc D, ok5 of The mills ere buried
in The ,uirs, but some clay te icuod !otect.
The proprietors all say they viii rebuild at
once in time FOR the new cr0J.
Gcy, Washburu, Ct Wis, will arrive to NOR
row TO take measures relative 10 his property.
Tho ether sn,lls, in the city Eumber:iS in ALL
com psratiyaly spsll, with 1@J rnn5 OF stone
Some of these are injured, but will DO speedily
ba mt IN condition tor work.
Ice! Ice! Ice!