Huntsville gazette., 1886-09-04
iFRIGHTFUL EXPLOSION.

The Laflin- Rand Powder Magazine on the
Outskirts of Chicago Struck by Light
ming and Exploded-One Person Instant-
Iy Killed-Three Mortally and Several
Seriously Iniured-The Shock Creates
Havoc for Distance of Seven Miles-A
Scene of Indescribabie. Ruin. ssa
CHICAGO, Aug, 30.-At fifteen minutes
past nine O'Clock yesterday morning, in
the midst of a heay. thunderstorm, the
powder magazine belonging to the Laflin-
Rand Powder Company was struck BY
lightning. An explosion followed which
destroyed property valued at $T5,0O0.
One person killed and four fatally injured.
The dead and injured are:, Il, tat ta.
Miss Carrie Aherenworth, killed in.
stantly A
John Guhl, teamster for the Oriental
Powder Company, ribs fractured; right
leg broken in two places; internal
wounds. rfF.fs5t tfitf ~ Is.. fitfa
Mrs. Guni, skull crushed.
Mrs. Eliza Devine, right leg crushed toa
Jelly; breast transfXed by a 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:
Peter Kenn, twenty-eight years old;
gardener.
James Shannon, sixteen years old; par
ents reside on Joseph street and Pearson
avenue.
Two Kelly brothers, fourteen and six.
teen years old respectively; parents re-
side on Western avenue, near Thirty
sixth street.
Madden, a small boy, whose parents re.
CT da birtv nj CT
son avenue. tAt.
Philip Bowler, cabinet maker, 722
South Union street, arm crushed by flying
stone, and amputated. A"
John Lordey, Jr., seventeen years old, of
165 Canalport avenue; leg badly crushed.
John Jung, fifty-two years old, garden
er; resides south of Archer road. a'+4 @
Mrs. Jung, torty-six years old, wife OF
the former.
Miss Kennedy, eighteen years old; par
ents reside on Johnson street, q quarter
of mile from the scene. uK WHrS-
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
nearly fifty feet in depth. W t'-i
The combined efforts of hard-fought,
battle, a cyclone and the whitening in
fuence of lightning could not have pre-
sentcd 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 furiously 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 deafenine
About quarter past nine a 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
sharp report, but, strange to say, by most
of those who lived in the vicinity of the
explosion it was hardly distinguishable
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 we're thrown about as if
they were playthings in a 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 is about
two miles from the extreme southwest.
ern edge of the city, near where Archer
avenue settles down into conventional
country highway. On one side were five
great fields Of ripening corn. On the
other a broad stretch of prairie runs for
nearly a mile in all directions. On this
ale, or rather were, a dozen plain, but
strongly-built houses, with walls of yell e
I,;nI ofr e al
doors, used as magazines.
The force of the explosion travelled u
across the city in northerly and easlerly
direction and left trail about three
quarters of 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
Bridewell. The female prisoners were
terribly frightened but none were injured.
Mrs. Armour, one of the matrons, was in
the upper hall in the rear part of the
building. She was prostrated by the
nervous shock, and will not be able to
attend to duty for several days The
ceiling in the upper floor Of the main
building was cracked through from
east to west in a straight line, and
patches of the plastering fell in all parts
of the building. The greatest damage
was done 10 Tie CelIihg Ill illc HAIL uiti,
which was nearly all torn down. Several
loors in the building we're blown from
heir hinges, and about two hundred
panes of glass were broken.
At McCormick's works about two hun
dred panes of glass on the river side OF
the building were broken, the building
was shaken, and doors were blown from
their hinges.
!. The Board OF Trade building, although
seven miles from the scene of the ex-4
plosion, was greatly affected by the dis
turbed condition of the atmosphere.
The main hall on the second floor is
lighted by three sheets Of plate glass,
each about twelve feet square. The
upper and lower of these sheets, were
shattered, none Of the fragments being
larger than fifty cent piece The lnan
who cleans the electric-light lamps was
in the tower which is $50 feet high,
doing this work when the explosion oc-ai
Cured. He states that the tower swayed
I'M way that led him TO fear that
the structure would topple over. TIE !
shock of the explosion was. distinctly telt
a.,~,x,-