The Columbus journal., 1881-10-05
Fuller Details Concern the
Powder Ex xpio-iOn Mon.
day Evening.

mon OlaStlng powder, was recelN
ed in Council Bluffs from Chicago
over the Rock Island road. The
powder was billed to J.O. Reynolds
of Denver. Although billed as sta
ted, il was suspected to be 'giani
POWDER" or what is known as dyna.
mite. When taken to the Union
Pacific by the Rock Island company
the Union Pacific company prompt.
ly and positively refused to receive
il and il was taken to the Rock Is
land yards. The Union Pacific
based their refusal to receive this
car on the strict rule of the compa-
ny, which absolutely refuse to re-
ceive or haul any giant powder or
any other high explosive. The car
was side-tracked near the round
house of the Rock Island yards,
where it was intended to be left
until orders for its disposal were
received from Chicago. The en-
ployes knew the nature of the cars
contents and none of them would
go near il. Shortly after 4 o'clock
Monday afternoon, some employe of
the company made the horrifying
discovery that this same car
WAS ON FIRE.
Knowing well what the frightful
result would soon be, the news of
this discovery was spread rapidly
through the yards. Fortunately but
few men were working in the yards
and none in the freight Office, but
all were notified. Word was at
once sent General Agent Stevens,
who at once sent an engine 10 the
scene with men. with orders to pull
the car to an out-of-the-way place if
possible, hut not to run any risk.
When the engine reached the spot
the fire was regarded TO have gained
too much headway to attempt 10 in
terfere with the car. A few minutes
later the explosion, awful i'm effect,
occurred. The conclusion utterly
demolished the freight Office. the
round house, repair shops, four en-
gines and some forty or fifty freight
cars, and one or two passenger
coaches, beside demoralizing track,
telegraph wires and adjoining build
ings. Hundreds of windows, large
French plate and common glass
were broken to pieces by the shock
in every part of the city.
AT the depot a hole fully fifteen
feet deep and forty-five feet in diam
eter, was blown in the ground near
where the car stood. We learn that
several large windows i'm Omaha,
and several in Missouri Valley, the
latter twenty miles away, were also
shattered by the conclusion. Small
houses south of the depot were bad
ly shattered, and in one instance a
piece of car wheel was blown sew
eral hundred feet and fell through
the roof of a small building, iniur-
ing several members of the family,
and quite seriously little girl who
ii is thought will die.
AT this time, it is of course impos-
sible to make any estimate of the
total loss sustained by the terrible
explosion, but it will undoubtedly
run up into the hundreds of thou
sands of dollars. The loss of the |
Rock Islands property is very |
heavy, and the company is thought |
to be liable for all damage through
out the city by the explosion, which |
will be many thousand dollars.
But for the prompt action of Agent
Stevens, ia having all employees snd
persons in the vicinity notified of |
the expected explosion great loss of
life would undoubtedly have oc-
Cured, and a pail of sorrow aud
sadness would have hung over our
city to-day.
Considering the terrible force and
extent of the explosion, ii is almost
that no fatal accident
resulted, aud the Rock Island COM
pany can, under the circumstances,
really consider itself coming out of
the matter much better than could
possibly have been expected.
Council BLUFFS, Ia, Sept. 81
The terrible explosion in this city
on Monday evening, mentioned in
the dispatches yesterday, proves to
have been even more awful in its
effect and the results even more
disastrous than at first supposed.
The scene presented on the grounds
is simply beyond description. The
round house of the company is al
most totally demolished. The car
aud repair shops, ninety by one
feet, is a total wreck, and
about fifty box cars were blown 70
pieces. Four engines were burned
in the ruins of the round house, but
are not greatly damaged. Patrick
Barnett, fireman of engine 8, which
was in the house at the time, was in
the cab of the engine when the ex-
plosion took place, but miraculously
even a scratch. His coat,
which he had hung outside Of the
cab, was torn in shreds. Four or