The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-09-04
FRleHTFUL EXPLOSION

ming and EXplOded-One Person Instant
ly Killed-Three Mortally and Several
Seriously IDjured-The Shock Creates
Havoc for Distance of Seven Miles,
Scene of Indescrbable Ruin.
CHICAGO, Aug, 3O.-At fifteen minutes
past nine O'Clock yesterday morning, in
the midst of q heavy thunderstorm, the
powder magazine belonging to the Lafip-
Rand Powder Company was struck by
lightning. An explosion followed which
destroyed property valued at $4,000.
One person killed and four fatally injured
The dead and injured are:
Miss Carrie Aberenworth, killed in
SANITY.
John Guhl, teamster for the Oriental
Powder Company, ribs fractured right
leg broken in two places; internal
wounds.
Mrs. CUM, skull crushed
Mrs. Eliza Devine, right leg crushed to
Jelly; breast transfxed by strip OF glass.
Besides the one dead, and four who
can not survive, the following is a partial
list of those who are known to be serious.
ly injured;
IClCI hClllJ INChIS-ClSub ySolo Olu
gardener.
James Shannon, sixteen years old; par
ents reside on Joseph street aud Pearson
avenue.
Two Kelly brothers, fourteen and six
/ teen years old respectively; parents re-
! side on Western avenue, near Thirty.
sixth street.
Madden, small boy, whose parents re
side on Thirty.eighth street, near Pear
son avenue.
Philip Bowler, cabinet maker, 722
| South Union street, arm crushed by flyine
stone, and amputated.
John Lordey, Jr., seventeenyearS old, o.
l65 Canalport avenue; leg badly crushed.
John Jung, ifty-two years old, garden
err; resides south of Archer road
Mrs. Jung, torty-siX years old, wife OF
the former.
Miss Kennedy, eighteen years old; par
ents reside on johnson street, quarter
of a mile from the scene.
The shock caved in the two magazines
of the Oriental Powder Company, and
also those belonging to the Warren Com.
pany, the Hazard, the Dupont companies
and the Forcite dynamite storehOuse.
The Latin & Rand Company's was the
only one which exploded. Where it
stood is now an immense excavation
nearly fifty feet in depth.
The combined efforts of hard-fOught
battle, a cyclone and the whitening in
fuence of lightning could not have pre-
sented a picture of more abiect desola-
ton and destruction than did the country
for half a mile in all directions from the
exploded magazine. The day had open
ed gloomily. At eight O'Clock rain be-
gan falling furiouslv from immense banks
OF clouds Flashes of lightning were
seen chasing each other across the entire
armament, until the heavens seemed
ablaze. The thunder was deafening.
About quarter past nine q fash,
which all agree was much brighter
than those which preceded it, was
followed by a report that shook the
greater part of Cook County. 1t was q
sharp report but, strange to say, by most
of those who lived in the vicinity of the
explosion it was hardly dlstuguishable
from the series of thunder-claps which
had been the order Of the morning. All
agree that there was tremendous shak-
Ing of the earth Articles of furniture
not stationary were thrown about as if
they were paythings in giants power.
Men, women and children were tossed
around at the Will of the terrible, resist
less force released by the explosion.
The scene of the catastrophe ~ about
two miles from the extreme southwest
eJn edge of the city, near where Archer
avenue settles down into a conventional
country highway. On one side were five
great fields of ripening corn. On the
other broad stretch of prairie runs for
nearly a mile in all directions. On this
are, or rather Were a dozen plain. but
Strongly-built houses, with walls of yell
low brick, roofs of slate and strong iron
doors, used as MAGAZINES.
The force of the explosion travelled
across the city in northerly and easterly
direction and left trail about three.
quarters of a mile wide. The shock was
distinctly felt in all parts of the city, and
many people were greatly frightened.
The explosion PLAYED sad havoc at the
t Bridcwell. The female prisoners were
terribly frightened utnone were injured.
Mrs Armour, one of the matrOns, was in
the upper hall in the rear part Of the
, building. She was Frustrated by the
nervous shock, and will not he able to
attend to duty for several days The
: ceiling in the upper floor of the main
building was cracked through from
y east to west in straight line, and
, patches of the plastering fell i'm all parts
=, of the building. The greatest damage
was done to the ceiling in the main hall,
which was nearly all torn down Several
! doors in the building we're blown from
their hinges, and about two hundred
panes of glass were broken.
n At McCormick's works about two hun
q bred paneS of glass on the river side oil
d The building were broken, the building
~ was shaken, and doors were blown from
Al their hinges.
The Board OF Trade building, although
~ seven miles from the scene of the ex-
IL ploSion, was greatly affected by the dis.
a urbN condition of the atmosphere
J, The main hall on the second floor Is
10 lighted by three sheets OF plate glass
lo each about twelve feet square. The
~ upper and lower OF these sheets were
I shattered, none of the fragments beins
IS .arger than fftv-cent niece The mar