Crawford avalanche., 1886-09-09
CHICAGO SHAKEN.
One Hundred Thousand Pounds
of Powder and Dynamite
Struck by Lightning.
All the Houses in the Vicinity Demol-
ished by the Explosion Which
Resulted.
One Girl Instantly Killed and Four
Persons Injured So They
Will Die.
Five Others Badly Hurt-Effects Of the
Explosion Felt at Distance of
Seven Miles
LFrom the Chicago pailY Newa.

| from the Chicago Daily Newsl
AS James Duhnstock was beating his wa,
| through the rain on Archer road Sunday morn
| ing lightning bolt shot out OF the black north
ern sky, having seemingly selected him for tn,
target Of its wrath. The binding sensation
was instantly followed by whitening crash
ana before no could breathe the prayer which
rose insensibly to his lips he fell TO the grount
stunned. At the Brighton Park drug store,
| mile away, the tall clock careened to the floor
ana smashed into fragments among the debris
from the shelves. Its battered hands marked
| the time, 9:20. Two hundred yards west Of
where Duhnstock lay community Of
houses was in ruins OF splinters and
flames, entombing dead and dying, whilo ten
miles distant, in the heart Of Chicago French
| glass windows were strewn over the sidewalks
| in pulverized pieces Mystifed men, women
and children ran hither and thither, wondering
| II this was new Pompeii without Vesuvius
and wildly speculating on the causes and re-
suits OF the earthquake shock that had swept
along the lake shore. Not until two hours later
was it learned that the dynamite magazine OF
Latin Rand had been exploded, causing great
OF 1880 pounds OF dynamite and 5000
pounds OF black powder were discharged by the
electric fuse Houses, trees, and fences went
down before thS mighty blast like grass before
the scythe and people for miles around were
stricken insensble with wounds or speechless
from terror The dead and injured are:
Dead-Carrie Earnsworth, IA years old.
Fatally Injured-John Kann, 35 years old
farmer, of Auburn Station John Gugl. 40 years
Olu uTlVer TOT the Lnuln & Rand Powder Com
pany. Mrs. John Gugl, "a years old wife OF the
former. Mrs Eliza Devine, 63 years old ; wild
ow. Peter Ham, % years old, gardener; has
wife and one child. James Shannon, I6 years
old parents reside on Joseph street and Pear
son avenue.
Seriously Hurt-Two Kelly brothers, IA and 16
years old respectively parents residing on
Western avenue near Thirty-sixth street -
Madden, small boy, whose parents reside on
Thirty-eighth street, near Pearson avenue.
Philip Bowler, cabinet-maker, 722 South Union
atreet. ned nv fxrin at md
lated John Lorden, Jr, II years old, of 165
Canalport avenue; leg badly crushed.
Lesser Casuaities-John Jung, 50 years old.
Jung, 45 years old 4; wife OF the former Miss
Kennedy, 1S years old parents reside on John
son street, quarter OF mile from the scene.
At Brighton Park Archer avenue takes the
character of the regulation country road toler-
ably we'll graded. but muddy in rainy weather
and provided with deep bitches on either side
The road cuts through portion OF the Town Of
Lake, and in the triangular piece OF the town
which adjoins the Town of Cicero stands, or
rather stood, Justice Tearneys residence, once
handsome frame structure: 10 either side Of
Tearney homestead, extends level prarie
for miles. few small market gardeners
till little patches Of cultivated soil; other
wise the country around wears arather desolate
aspect. Besides tho few human habitations
scattered on the prairie, nine queer-looking
structures attracted the eye of the passer-by.
They do 30 in a greater degree now, because
with the exception OF one they wrecks
Built solidly of brick, about so by 80 feet in di-
mensions, and OF two-storied height they would
look like SO many small jails were it not for tho
fact that there are no windows to admit light
A huge and massive iron door is the only means
of egress and ingress. They all have q sort of
sinister appearance; one that makes the OBJ
server look twice as he passes by and wonder
what they contain.
What there is stored Of blasting powder, dyn-
amite, nitro.glycerine and other terrible ex-
plosives for the Chicago trade is in these houses
One of the nine belonged to the Latin & Rand
Powder Company.
STRUCK BY THE LIGHTNING.
Many passers-by, perhaps, have time and
again imagined the havoc that must follow
should one Of these magazines of destruction
belch forth its contents. 1t happened yesterday
thunderstorm had been raging at intervals
during the early morning hours. 1t subsided
somewhat toward o'clock, but an hour later
the elements broke loose with renewed fury:
The rain fell in torrents, and vivid flashes Of
lightning cleft the dark skies, followed by roars
About that time John Kann, young farmer
from Auburn Station, stopped at McLarney
Brothers grocery and saloon to avoid the
drenhcing rain. He had two stout horses attached
to his heavy farm wagon and was pound for
home When the heaviest gust of rain abated
seemingly subsiding into regulation all-day
drizzle, the farmer wrapped himself up in q
horse blanket and started his team off on n Jog
down the road He had to keep a sharp eve on
his bays, because the lightning came in flashes
which succeeded each other rapidly as il all
the electricity Of the sultry and oppressive
atmosphere had been concentrated upon the
spot where the immense stores of explosives
DN
In the short intervals between the lightning
the lurid sky overhung everything with almost
absolute darkness. Suddenly one of the elec-
trio flashes was followed by a terrific crash az
II the earth had been cleft asunder by some un-
known gigantic force. 1t was the death knell Of
the lone traveller on Archer road Rocks were
hurled through the air, trees rent to the roots
fences blown down for miles. houses unroofed
and reduced to spinters, and torrents Of mud
showered around for hundreds Of yards The
terrific force OF the explosion made the thunder
of heaven appear insignificant. The powder
magazine OF Latin Rand had been struck
by lightning and 500 pounds Of dynamite and
havoc as IL old Vulcan had split the earth from
within his subterranean abode The ground
seemed TO rock and sway under the terrific
force OF the conclusion, and the country for
blocks around was wrapped in clouds of sitting
smoke. Mr.. Kann was hurled through the air
for a distance OF over a hundred feet. his
mangled body being found half an hour later
The base OF the unfortunate mans skull was
blown off, and the brains were oozing out
upon the muddy field. Pieces of wood
and iron had penetrated his back and caused
horrible gashes all over his body, from which
the blood was flowing, gathering in pools
All OF the clothes OF the man, except those
covering the lower extremities, were as IL cut
off from his back only few shreds hanging
loosely around the lacerated form. He was
suffering untold agonies at the County Hospital
last night His death is almost certainty. OF
the wagon, only few scattered pieces gave
witness that the vehicle had been painted a
baTnsss not vestge Of Ieatbsr q, tno
them. The one ON the side OF the exploded
magazine was killed instantly the carcass be-
ing hurled into the ditch on the south side of
the road the other horse escaped unharmed
scampered of into the field, and was later ON
caught and stabbed.
PREAKs OF THE DISASTER.
The force OF the explosion was terrific It
tore down or wrecked every house within a
quarter Of a mile of the magazine. The sur
rounding magazines were unFoofed, and several
of those nearest had their walls demolished
Houses which withstood the shock Of the con-
cussion were a second after treated TO a perfect
shower OF stones and huge powders. The maga-
zine was built over q bed Of tough blue clay The
dynamite as usual with this terrible explo-
Hive, went downward. II tore out hole twenty
feet deep and thirty feet in diameter, shaped
much like the bottom OF a huge punch-bowl |
Into this natural mortar the brick walls and
huge foundation stones were tumbled, only TO
be hurled ont the next instant. The principle
was exactly the same and the force Of the mon
steH missiles great Rs IL the huge hole of clay
had been a mortar of chilled steel and loaded |
with all the giant powder it would hold. Huge
stones weighing fully 100 pounds, were sent
sailing through the afr like solid round shot, |
while perfect oloud OF broken bricks and splin-
ters OF stone swept over the surrounding coun-
try like n volley of canister and grapeshot
Fences were obliterated and 81 walks uprooted
(or hal mil