The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-09
THE NEGAUNEE EXPLOSION.
Fearful Destruction by Two and a Half
Tons of NitrO-Glycerine.
MEN TORN TO PIECES.
Machinery and Windows Demolished Narrow
Escape Of School Children.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD


DETROIT, Mich, Ian. s, 1873
Particulars Of the recent nitro-Rycerine explosion
near Negaunee Lako SUPERIOR have been received
Nearly two tons and halt OF nitrogycen had been
hauled 10 tho Chicago and Northwestern Railroad
track half q milo west OF Negaunec ana was being
loaded into freight preparatory to its shipment
to the Republic Iron Mine, fifteen miles distant
In some tho nitro. glycerine cx
ploded just before ten O'Clock the morning OF tho
I'd inst Tic people Of Negaunee thought at arst an
earthquake was about TO overwhelm them. Tho en-
tire city was shaken up and dense cloud OF
smoke and dust The shock was terrible
beyond imagination. Where the freight car had stood
tho railroad track for about Hfty feet was torn
from its bed and the rails twisted broken and hurled
away and hole twenty feet In diameter and Eve
ieet deep excavated and the earth thrown for rods
around In every direction.
DESTRUCTION LOCOMOTIVE
Not the slightest trace OF the car was visible. The
locomotive and tender, which stood behind the car,
thrown back one hundred feet Wheels,
1ues cab tubes, bell ana everything about II,
wrenchod, twisted and torn asundcr. Long lines OF
ore CARS standing upon sdo track by, were
stove demot hod and shrcds and scraps OF iron,
WOOD tin, &C., covered the snow in all directions.
BLOWN TO FRAGMENTS
Lying on tho bottom OF tho cab were four OF tho
seven men who engaged in loading the car-the
engineer, fireman and two brakemen-mangied and
burned beyond recognition, with their heads hanging
the edge. As soon as The horror stricken crowd
which fastened to the sccne could recover their
they took the charrcd and manged remains Of
these unfortunates from the cab aud laid them the
ground until team was procured, when they wero
taken tho depot tor recogn on. or the other three
men who were engaged IN handling the cans nothing
could be seen, but after diIgent search few frag
put together Not than enough fragments TO I'LL
IN ordinary bucket were found.
wREcxISG THE JACKSON MACHINERY
About one hundred feet from the place Of the
plosion ia the north pit OF the Jackson Mine. Down
into this pit bureda horse and driver. AT
the engine house adjoining this pit the force Of tho
explosion the roof stove IN the SIDES and splin
tered every loose board besides SCATTERING and break
ing the engine machinery Inside. The engineer in
this building luckily escaped with few bruises AZ
the upper Jackson location tho windows doors, CELL
inks, Iurnuuro and dishes ut all tho houses wero
broken and slrewed about IN great confusion, ana
women and children wero lifted from their ieet aud
hurled among the rubbish. The location was In fact
u general wreck.
BREAKING WINDOWS AND IyJURING SCHOOL CHILDREN
Arthe Jackson school, where the children had just
been called together, when tho shock came every
window in the west side OF the building Was crushed
in with all the sashcs, throwing shower OF shattered
children, and injuring four OF them.
OTHER DAxAGEs.
Al the Jackson office every sash and every pane OF
On Iron street, Negaunec, almost everything In the
shape OF window glass was demolished.
Al The Iron Gin ofhce the ceilings fell around Tho
hoads Of the occupants.
Al J.. d. Cyr's druy store the whole front was de-
moiished, hundreds OF bottles OF medicine umbled
oil tho shelves upon the door
Al Klrkw God Bro,hers drug store many bottles of
medicine wore also thrown down anu broken.
Even the Pioneer Furnace shook 10 It's very iounda
tlou.
At the Pioneer Mine two men standing on the low
est level 800 feet below the surface, thrown OF
their icet, aud miners working higher levels were
tossed around iudescrlbAbly, bur none were badly
hurt
inc engineer on the Jackson switch engine was
thrown Oh his seat, but not seriously hurt
LIST KILLED
Tho list OF the Killed 10 as foIlvws:-
William Myers, engineer.
Jeremiah Foley, fireman.
Charles Miller, brakeman.
William Spelluian brakeman
:. A. Wheeler
Walter Wheeler.
Ira Huxley.
The last lhree were employees Of the Lake Superior
Miro Giycerne Company.
Captain John Thomas ieit ear cut and several cuts
In neck.
Dave Pierco anu JOnn johnson, each slightly in
several others also more or less injured.
AN that remained Of tho three last The list Of
killed was pct IN u conln Tor burial The bodies Ut
Foley Miller were takon by their relatives and
inferred. Inc romans VI Myers ana Spoilmau were
sent ON the first tram to Escunaba The relatives
the former live at Racne, Wis. OF The latter
where IN Vireinla.
now CAPTAIN MERRY ESCAPED
The Marquette Mining Journal says Captain Merry.
OF the JACKSON Mine, stood near the fatal car when
The men commenced oaang II, but fearing acci-
dent started TO leave the spot He hld walked about
one hundred feet when the explosion TOOK place. Just
ho happened to stand behind u small mound, which
sheltered him iron the fuil iorcc the As II
was he WAS thrown upon The ground violently, but
sustained no serious Injuries. .. ~ Wheeler man
ager OF The nitrc-gycerine works, was standing IN
front OF the Northwestern depot when the explosion
TOOK place and tainted when ho heard the report
The horse attached 10 the cart that WAS thrown by
the explosion into pit hity icet from tho fatal car,
When hauled out walked or AS though nothing had
happened. Tne driver escaped with slight injuries.
Tho shock OF the explosion was felt ut lshpening
Cascade, tho Salisbury Nine. the Carp Hill Section
House and al sand Switch, fully miles from
Negaunec.
The losses by the explosion not definitely known,
but they Will reach nearly $1,000 Very little work
was cone at any OF the Ncgaanec mines after the
plosion most or the miners were kept busy board
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