The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-04-29
GIANT POWDER.
AErlsAffal Explosloa Near San Eraaeise>-
Over Twenty Persons Blown to Atoms.

a ErlSAtfal Exploolon Near San Eraaeasee-
Over Twenty Persens Blown to Atoms.
SAN FRANCISCO, April II.
Five thousand pounds of giant pow
DER exploded at Berkeley yesterday by
the careless blow of q workman putting
cover on q box, and twenty-five human
beings were torn into minute frag-
ments. The works were employed
TO manufacture cartridges for use
in mining localities. TWENTY to
thirty men were employed during
the day in making and packing cart.
ridges in boxes, and it is customary
to have all the packages secured at
night-the men leaving off work at six.
The cartridges are about three. quarters
of an inch in diameter and from i've to
eight inches in length, and one has suf-
ficient power to destroy small-sized
building. The boxes are made secure
by screwing down the covers. as any
hammering or sudden jar is liable to
cause an explosion. The belief is that
one of the workingmen in the factory
had used hammer in driving in screws
to one of the box covers, and SO caused
the explosion which rent the building
to atoms.
The people employed in the manu.
factory were both Chinese and whites.
Twelve Cinnamon are missing and an
equal number of white men. Among
those suddenly bereft of life are the fol-
lowing: Jacob Van Dolen Germany,
aged twenty-five; Augustih Fisher Ger
mani, twenty-one, single; Peter
Shaughnesey (1rish), single, twenty
four; Jacob Reagan Qrlsh). single,
twenty-four; Philip Lambert (Canadi-
any. single, twenty-five; Alexander
Spooner (Canadian), twenty.three. Two
Germans, recently married and living
at Berkeley, called Frederick and Theo-
dore. Another German, who was paw
ing visit to one of the other workmen,
was also killed. A boy aged eleven,
named Lincoln Meek, residing at Berke-
ley, was driving horse and cart, and
was last seen about fifty feet from the
works. He was blown to atoms, to-
gether with the horse and cart, not a
vestige of which was found.
The effects of the explosion were in
describable. Five thousand pounds of
giant powder exploded instantly, hurl-
ing the victims piecemeal into the bay
and on the ground in the vicinity, here
leg and there hand. In one place
would be found human foot and in
another piece of skull. An arm was
found quarter of mile from the
scene. The pigtail of one of the Chi
namen, with a piece of the scalp, was
found lodged in tree 800 yards
away. Heavy timbers butted strong
ly together were splintered into
shreds and scattered over the
ground for acres in extent, while
the waters of the bay between Jennings
Point and Sheep Island, two miles dis
tant, were covered with the debris.
Large trees in the vicinity were twisted
and thrown down like reeds before q
fierce gale. The houses near the acid
works, a quarter of mile distant, were
partially wrecked, the windows and
sashes being broken by the conclusion.
At the town of Berkeley, three miles
distant, the windows were broken and
bottles on the shelves thrown down.
The ground on which the building stood
is torn up as if = hundred ten-inch shells
fired from q columbiad had struck it.
No piece of the building remains much
larger than lath.
Coroner Hamilton went out to the
scene about eight o'clock and found it
impossible. at that late hour, to gather
up any more of the fragments Of hui
mainly. Two boxes of human remains
were gathered up by the attaches of the
Powder Company before dark. There
is no doubt that the larger portion of
the fragments were hurled into the bay,
and will become food for fishes.
About 5000 pounds of powder re-
manned on the ground near the scene
unexploded, and those whose business
it was to be there felt slight timidity
in regard to it.