Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-05-01
A TERRIBLE TALE
From the California Explosion.

gled Human Flesh Collected
TOgether---Greed for Cain
| ON the Part Of the Mama
ger the Cause Of the
Calamity, Etc. "
I E ISan Francisco Chronicle
| The recital of the terrible results OF
the giant powder explosion near
Berkeley, on Friday, produced a pro.
found sensation in the community,
and Notwithstanding the bad roads
and difficulties attending trip to the
scene of the disaster, hundreds OF
| people from this city and Oakland yes
terday wended their way to the 10.
| cality where the calamity occurred.
A visit to the spot convinced those
| who went there that such q scene OF
disaster and ruin could not be fully de-
scribed in the darkness and gloom
which prevailed on Friday night.
Yesterday the reporter of the Chroni.
Gle paid another visit to the ground
and gained additional facts. Within
ten feet of the building destroyed was
a magazine built Of brick, with walls
twenty inches In thickness, aud
covered with iron. The explosion had
rent the walls assunder and thrown q
portion of tuem down, while
the roof was raised up and then
fell back into the ruins There is
stored here about 5000 pounds OF
giant powder cartridges, and 1t seems
wonderful tina. they did not also ex-
plode. To the westward of this point
were several other buildings, which
were almost wholly demolished. One
of these was similar Ia construction to
the one destroyed, being made OF 2x6
inch scantlipgs, firmly bolted together
aud having end walls of brick 20
inches thick. 1t was used for prepar.
ing glycerine used in the manufacture
of cartridges. The woodwo of this
structure was destroyed, and the walls
thrown down. Further on were some
glycerine and acid tanks, inclosed in
wooden structures, two in number,
both of which were torn to pieces.
The repoi ter saw a number OF men,
women and boys searching the hill
sides, the ruins and adjacent marsh>
land and bay shore, picking up pieces
OF flesh that had been torn from the
men killed, and putting them into
bags or pieces of mating and in boxes.
AT 10 O'Clock the coroner took TO Oak
land about 800 pounds of pieces OF
human flesh and bones. The nearest
semblance to humanity found WAS the
body OF i Chinaman, minus the head
and one leg and portion Of the lower
part of the left side. Strange to say,
nearly all the pigtalls of the Cinnamon
killed were found uninjured. Some of
them had pieces of the skin of the
skull attached, but nothing like a
human skull or even piece OF
one. The remains were assorted
by Mr.. Spear, assistant to Coro-
ner Hamilton, who tried to arrange
the various pieces in form of bodies;
but after finding only three feet to a
hundred pieces of flesh and bone, he
was compelled to forego his work, and
then simply laid them out on board.
AT the WORKS yesterday piece of the
horse blown away was found on the
marsh 300 yards from where he was
standing when the explosion took
place, aud his tail was found half that
distance In an opposite direction. The
little boy, Mink, resided in San Fran
cisco, and had only come in the works
y L.
mans was married and leaves wife
and three children living in San Fran.
cisco. The poor woman, with her
children, was at the scene yesterday,
and her wild expressions of grief at
her bereavement aud her desolate con-
dltion moved all hearts. Among the
pieces of flesh picked up the reporter
noticed an ear, a thumb. finger, or
foot, and the flesh all seemed partially
burned. Dupuis was friend of Mr..
Lambert. VINO was xii ed, aud the
latter had relative of the same name
living at the lhre g. mile house, on the
San Pablo road. Dupuis was at the
three-mile house at 3 O'Clock 10 the
siternoon, and after treating several
persons changed a twenty dollar piece,
at the same time showing Mr.. Lam
oert about $500 IN gold coin. He tnen
stated he was going to the powder
works to see the other Lsmuert, and
be arrived there about ten minute bet
fore the explosion. A portion OF his
coat Was found yesterday. Tue
owners of the works seem strangely
apathetIc la regard To the whole affair,
as they had no men at work yesterday
where they should have been search
ing the debris and taking out the huge
pie Of earth which has fallen into the
ruins, and under which may be buried
the remains of some of the victims.
During he afternoon a piece of
mans coat was found, about half a
mile from the scene of the explosion,
which contained a bank book. show
ing that it belonged to Joseph Dupuis,
and that he had about $1,000 on de-
poeit in an Oakland bank. Part of the
body of white man was found In the
water near the shore, aud Coroner
Hamilton thinks it can be Identified,
rs about one half of the face remains,
though the body has no legs or arms.
II Is supposed now to be the body of
Dupuis. An inquest will be held on
the scene OF the catastrophe on Mon
day.
A gentleman called at the Chronicle
Office last night and stated that he had
been Informed by one of the victims,
u fcw days previous to the explosion,
that change had recently been made
in the method OF paying the men for
their services, which might result dis-
astrously, as it wgs engendering reck-
lessn ess. II has been the custom for
long time to pay two dollars per day,
aud under this regulation everything
was done wi h care and deliberation.
Recently, however, new manager
was appointed, who, 1T is stated, sub,
stituted for the per diem method the
plan of paying for piece work.