Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-14
A t BLAST.

A Warehouse in Winnipeg, Conta,,,-
Quantity of Powder. Fakes Fire-A Ess
full Explosion follows, Seriously n,.aar'
Many Persons. '""rins
WINNIPEG. Manitoba, Junem
About nine p. m. Friday a frame WV.
house or Arthur and Albert streets :" .
property of j. H. Ashdown, was discovou ."e
on fire. Before the fire department. a,r;,..a
the flames communicated to adjacent h,;,a
ings. An immense throng collected in .S
narrow streets and thus rendered t'
work of the f'emen and pol;cemaS
extremely difficult. Despite the wa,nina'
of Chiefs Murray and McRobie to the efas,
that powder and coal-oil were stored in oms
of the buildings the crowd ventured nearon
Suddenly a terrific explosion was heard. and
as one of the buildings fell with a cr,sr' |
several persons were struck by rafters and
burning debris. Filled with alarm. tho |
multitude scattered, and at midnight ths
following injured persons have been found.
James Yule, city electrician, head seyerelv
cut, also neck and face badly burned
George Scale, cook, dying; frontal hone
crushed, and injury to brain will
cause death within a few hours. Chief
McRobie, of the Fire Department, faca
and hands burned, badly %disfigured. NJ.
ROBBIE, son of the chief, superficial burns
and bruises. Frank Carr, shoulder broken
arm and chest burned. j. S. Chamberlinl
grain-dealer, compound fracture of law
head cut open and face ! badly distgured'
William Sinclair, harness-maker, lower
limbs and feet badly burned, hands and face
also burned. James Bowie, harness.
maker, face and head burned and bruised,
Mcclure, occupation unknown, head cnt
and badly burned. Jack Wilson, fireman,
severely burned and bruised.
Several parties, names unknown, have
been removed to their homes and are being
treated b9 physicians. The nature and ey.
tent of their injuries can not be ascertained.
The effect of the explosion is to be seen in
many principal buildings. Heavy plate
glass windows were shattered several blocks
distant from the scene, and numbers of
buildings adjacent caught fire from sparks.
Inquiry at Ashdown's office failed to elicit
information as to the extent of the loss or
the cause of the fire. J.. H. Ashdown had
stored in a rickety warehouse, with other
intlammable material, a large quantity Of
%gunpowder. Men were permitted to enter
the place where the explosive was exposed
to the flames. Mr.. Grant, the foreman Of
the warehouse, said that he removed nine
kegs of powder, and was returning when the
explosion took place. Groups Of citizens
are discussing the event and demand an in
vestigation by the Grand Jury.
George Scale is dead. His relatives live
in Montreal, and have been wired to come.
Others of the wounded are in a precarious
condition, and over a score of physicians are
busy in every quarter, relieving the
manned.
Additional names of the injured are as
follows: Assistant Chief Cole, cut and
bruised; John Watson, severely bruised
Walter Rutherford, bruised and cut; Archie
Grant, slightly injured; Lellie Farrell, bad
ly cut by falling glass: Smith, bank-clerk,
face burned and cut; c. w. Moberly, in
jured by falling glass.
DR.. Jones says that Yule's injuries, viz.
a terrible cash in the head and severe burns,
are liable to prove fatal. A warrant fol
Ashdown's arrest is in the hands of Chief
Murray, at the instance of the underwriters.
The loss of Ashdown by fire is about So, 900;
uninsured. The loss to other parties froM
shattered glass is estimated at from 1000
to 81. 600.