Daily Republican., 1883-10-30
Dlovn - Aao00.

CONFLUENCE, Pa, October D.-A
terrible disaster occurred near Brooks
Tunnel, on the Baltimore and Ohio
RailrOsd, yesterday morning about
O'Clock, resulting in the instant killing
Of five men. The railroad company
has been strengthening and widening
the tunnel, and some distance outside a
magazine had been erected, In which
WAS stored 200 pounds Of dynamite to
he used for blasting. A freight train
had just passed through the tunnel,
and was side-tracked to allow an over
due passenger train TO pass. Four OF
the crew of the freight train walked
back to the vicinity Of the magazine,
and were engaged in conversation wi b
the watchman, when the people living
In the vicin Y we're startled by aterritic
cOncu,s;On. Houses for fifteen
miles around were shaken to their
foundations, and windows for a dis
tance Of seven miles were shattered.
Horror stricken, the people ran from
their houses, and upon Investigation it
was found that the dynamite had ex-
ploded with fearful effect. Everything
in the vicinity gave evidence of the ter
ribe force of the explosion. Trees were
uprooted, huge rocks were torn asuDder
and telegraph poles for half mile
were Frustrated. Nothing remained of
the magazine, and the men who stood
near it just before the explosion were
missing. All must have been instantly
killed. Portions Of bodies, including
legs, arms, hands and heals, have been
picked up half mile distant, but 90
badly distigured az to be unre ogni-
z BILE.
The cause Of the OK plosion il envelOp
ed 10 Hystery, and as the five men who
might have thrown some light on the
accident ars dead, 1t is probable that
the cause will never be known. Not
far from the scene gun was found,
and II Is supposed that one OF the vic.
Tins discharg d ii, the conclusion caus-
ing the dynamite to explode. An in
quest was held to day by the Coroner,
and verdict of accidental death was
rendered. Great excitement prevails
here, and hundreds Of people have gone
" the scene of the disaster.
Mary Churehlll Found.
ST. LOUIS, October W-News has
been received of the missing girl, Mary
Churchill, who disappeared from her
fathers residence in July. Her father
--COlonel James Z. Church'll-has re-
ceived letter from her, mailed at In
dianapolis. He refused to make It's
contents public, but furnished the fol-
lowing caro-
To the Public After a suspense of
three months | am today in receipt OF
letter from my daughter, mailed from
a distant city. AS the papers all over
the country have accorded me every
facility in their power (and in many
CASES at q eat expense) in my search.
Notwithstanding the injunction imPos-
ed by my daughter to withhold from
publication the contents of this letter,
the duty which, owe my friends impels
me to give its pnrpOrr, which | here
with attach, rs follows:
OCTOBER 25-My Father: write to
let You know that am alive and we'll.
| am not on the stage, a. you supposed,
nor have eloped. On, how could you
think ~, when l cared SO little for
genrlemen's society? am earning
my own living, honestly. Teach my
little sisters and darling little brother
to think kindly Of their sister MARY.
Colonel Churchill expresses the
utmost confidence in the authenticity
Of the letter, and both he and his wife
identify the handw riting They have
10 information of their daughters $
whereabouts. but both feel confident
that they will soon hear from her
again, and that she will return home
shortly.