, 1885-07-03
WELL SHAKEN.
A Powder Magazine Exploded by
Lightning.
The Shattered Stone of the Building
Scattered About.
A Small House Demolished and a
Woman and Child Hurt.

together as to almost blend with each other.
Instantly afterward hundreds of people
started toward Camp Carlin, watching a
great volume of smoke which was ascend
ing from that direction. Thecauss of the
shock was the explosion by lightning Of
the Union Mercantile company powder
magazine. which stood about half way be.
tween the northern limit of the city and
Camp Carlin, about one mile from the
Cheyenne post office. The magazine was
a solid stone building about fifteen feet
square, with an iron roof, and it
contained in the neighborhood of
three tons Of powder, about l,5Oo
pounds Of which was giant and blasting
powder and the remainder was gun pow
der, belonging to the Hazard and Dupont
companies, Of which the Union Mercantile
company and Dare & Collins are respect
lively the agents. a large part of the gun
powder belonged to p. Bergersen. The
loss of powder by the explosion was per
haps s., 900, and the entire loss of prop
erty was about SO, 500. The magazine
was blown to atoms, nc sign of it being
left except a deep hole in the ground
where it stood and a CARLOAD or SO of
stone, broken up as If it had been cracked
with hammers for macadamizing purposes.
Within a hundred feet of the magazine,
on the side next toward Camp Carlin,
stood a small frame house and that was
utterly demolished, with everything in it.
The house was the residence of Charles
Nolker, Il carpenter, who was at work in
the city at the time of the explosion.
His wife and child were out on
the prairie a few yards away
going toward a ~neighbor's house.
The concussion knocked both of them
down and a piece of timber or stone struck
the woman in the back and tore the flesh,
wounding her severely. She also received
a cut on the left temple from a piece of
flying stone. The child. a boy five or SIX
years old, was knocked senseless and was
severely bruised. Immediately after Mrs.
Nolkor regained her feet she picked up
the boy and carried him in her arms to
Maj. Talbot's, a distance of more than a
quarter of a mile. and arriving there
breathless she asked in a whisper the
privilege of laying him down in the house,
and as soon as some one took the child she
fell exhausted. Shortly alterward the
mother and child were brought in an am
bulance and comfortably rlnced in a room
in the Leighton house, opposite the Inter
Ocean hotel, where they were attended
by DIR. Wyman.
INCIDENTS.
A good horse belonging To Abney's
livery stable was among the losses. \
party of gentlemen including j. S. Pode,
L. +. Townsend. Simon hlamsky, +. 5.
Smith and P. Bergersen had gone out
to Maj. Talbot's to try a new rifle, which
Mr.. Pode had just purchased. They had
a carriage from Abney's stable and the
team was standing in front of Talbot's
saloon, when a stone weighing about ten
pounds struck one Of the horses IN the
right foreleg above the knee and brokcit
in twain. The horse was aiterward shot
dead by Mr.. Abney's order to put it out
Of its misery. 1t was known as Bay John,
and was a %favorite about the city as ID
driving horse. Mr.. Abney paid sl2j for
the animal a short time ago.
A horse with which some workmcn
we've hauling brick at the yards about a
quarter of a mile distant was struck with a
stone and killed instantly.
An cxpressman in his wagon saw the
explosion and threw himself down in the
bodg of the vehicle. A stone cut his reins
in two. but himself and horse escaped un-
hurt.
Messrs. Pode, Townsend, Adamsky Smith
and Bergersen stood in front of Talbot sa-
loon in full view Of the explosion and were
unhurt, though the doors of the saloon,
which were locked as the major was in the
city, were blown open by the force of the
conclusion, and amid the flying stones,
one Of which broke a horses leg, as de.
Tho A. r. Na; T.1ha,, ,
also forced open and nearly every glass in
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T,lbot :. ;n.onsolabIo 90 ,ho,. noro ,,o.,.
ano;on, ana L;nhI' ar.a1 I.I
e -
bor
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