Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-01-23
FATAL EXPLOSION.
One White Man and %
Cinnamon Killed.
Elk plosiOm of the Mixing and Six
Packing Houses of the Giant
Powder Works near Berkeley.
ESPECIAL TO THE SENTINEL

ESPECIAL TO THE SENTINEL
SAN Francisco, Jan. 21.-A Berkeley
dispatch says: The mixing house and six
packing houses of the Giant Powder Works
at Point Clement, near West Berkeley, OK
ploded at 4 p. M. The shock of seven ex-
plosions were felt in this town. One white
man, the foreman, named Cook, and be-
tween 40 and so Chinese are known to have
been blown to atoms. Nearly the entire
plant was destroyed by fire, which began
Immediately after the explosion. The Su-
perintendent was thrown a long distance,
but was not injured. Physicians won't
down from Berkeley and West Berkeley.
Tho fire is still raging. A large magazine,
containing over 200 0 II of powder, is still
safe. About eight tons exploded. The
loss cannot be estimated. The dwelling
houses ON the east side of the hill are safe,
but all the glass is shattered.
THE FIRE STILL RAGING.
A later Berkeley dispatch says: 1t is
now known that the number of Chinese
killed is not as great as first reported.
L u are lIOb ' ~ iliooiuS. Ii uIG
is still raging, and more explosions are
expected at any moment. The scene in
tho vicinity is terrible. The bodies can be
seen lying near the line of the fire, but the
men dare not rescue them for fear of their
own lives. The Assistant Superintendent
is missing, and is supposed to be killed.
The Superintendent was not at the works
at the time. A workman named Oscar
Forguffsky was pulled from the ruins soon
after the explosion, seriously hurt. Four
Cinnamon have been taken from the de-
bris, all badly hurt.
DAMAGE TO THE HOUSES.
All the houses within a radius of half a
mile are completely shattered. The doors
and windows of the dwelling houses of the
employees IN the opposite side of the hill
were blown in, and most of the occupants
thrown to the floor. The sheds and barns
were laid flat. The building of the Jud-
son Works, on the side of the hill, where
the blasting powder was manufactured,
was thrown over, and will probably have
to be rebuilt.
CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION.
The cause of the first explosion in the
Westinghouse is yet unknown. The other
explosions followed in the space of two
minutes. All the buildings blown up were
on the bay side of the hill, but the fire
rapidly around, and now, 8 P. NJ,
large magazine is in danger. No at
tempt has been made to check the fire,
owing to the danger. Many worknen es.
miraculously.
A GOOD HOBBY FOR THE ORTHODOX.
To-day is the first Sunday in many
that the works were running at
full blast, and orders of u tons were load
on schooners at the wharf, A driver
with a team and a load.o of powder on the
wharf jumped when the first explosion was
into the water and escaped, when
the wagon load exploded. The wharf has
fire and is burning rapidly. Hos
pitfalls were improvised in the unchanged
and the wounded cared for. Ply
have come out from Oakland and
other towns. This is the most disastrous
explosion that ever occurred at these works. |
Should the magazine explode all the houses
in Berkeley would be damaged. Efforts
will be made to subdue the flames and
avoid this danger.
LOSSES.
The total loss by reason of the explosion
will reach not less than 500, 900. The
giant powder works sustained a damage Of
$50, 900, and the acid works Of Judson &
Go. SAC, 900. 1t is impossible to ascertain
The exact loss Of life, but it is estimated
that it is between 80 and 40. The first
explosion occurred about 4 O'Clock in the
house, in which about 200 pounds
of powder was stored. 1t Is not known
whether anybody was killed by the explo-
sion or not. As soon as the packing house
exploded, d number of Cinnamon employed
IN other departments fled for their lives,
had reached an open space when the
house exploded, killing most of
them in their tracks. 1t 10 thought that
Ferdinand Kompt, superintendent, was
by this explosion. In about a min
ute one of the smaller houses exploded,
Immediately after by another
explosion, which doubtless killed the sur
yiving employees. A workman named
Forgutfsky was very seriously in
jured. All the other white men have been
men.
Il MAIN MAGAZINE SAVED.
Efforts to prevent the flames reaching
the main magazine, containing IN i'm
mense quantity of powder, were happily
successful. The consequences would have
been most frightful had the large maya
diIC GAp OtC rs 0llC Va tLC upC L u
ents stated that there is enough powder
stored there to have destroyed every living
thing on the peninsula.
CAUSE OIL THE EXPLOSION STILL A MYSTERY.
The cause of the first explosion remains
= mystery. This evening 10 bodies were
lying in the debris, and the Cor
investigation tomorrow will prob
ably disclose more than double that num-
Der. A force of mon are engaged tonight
in extiuguishing the fire and recovering
bodies.
THE Scene AT THE WORKS.
SAN Francisco, Jan. 22.-An Oakland
dispatch says: The scene at the giant
powder works this morning was one Of
devastation and death. In the semi
circular excavation. where the packing
houses were located, the ground is covered
with debris and timbers. Huge rocks,
thrown by the violence of the series Of
ground are the mangled bodies OF 81
Cinnamon. One Chinaman died last night
in the temporary hospital. So far as
known. at noon, one white man and 20
Cinnamon were killed.
A BRAVE MAN.
The white man killed is Ferdinand
Kompf, Assistant Superintendent. He
could have saved himself. but remained to
try to save the works. When the first ex-
plosion occurred he ran TO tho nitro
glycerine house to turn on the water to
extinguish the fire. He was killed by the
explosion OF the nitro glycerine house. 1t
is thought that there are eight or ten
bodies in the ruins. Oscar F~orgutfsky was
the only white man wounded. He will
probably recover. Thirteen wounded
Cinnamon are lying in the quarters of the
Chinese. The greater number of these
will recover. The cause Of the first ex-
plosion still remains a mystery. Whether
the powder in every one Of the packing
houses exploded cannot yet be told. They
are all caved in and filled with debris.
The marazinaa are nniniurad. and danger