The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-09-09
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-Efects of the
Explosion Felt at Distance of
Seven Miles.
From tho Chicago Daily News.l


through the rain on Archer road Sunday morn-
ing lightning bolt shot out OF the black north
ern sky, having seemingly selected him for the
target of its wrath. The binding sensation
was instantly followed by whitening crash,
and before he could breathe the prayer which
rose insensibly to his lips ho fell 10 tine ground
stunned. At the Brighton Park drugstore,
mile away, the tall clock careened TO the floor,
and smashed into fragments among the debris
from tbs shelves. It's battered hands marked
the time, 30. Two hundred yards west OF
where Duhnstock lay n community OF
houses was in ruins OF splinters ana
flames, en:ombing dead and dying. while ten
miles distant, in the heart OF Chicago, French
glass windows were strewn over the sidewalks
in pulverized pieces. Mystihed men, women,
and children ran hither and thither, wondering
II this new Pompeii without Nesuyius.
and wildly specializing 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 q Rand had been exploded, causing great
havoc and desolaton. The destructive forces
of 1,5)0 pounds Of dynamite and 5000
pounds of black powder were discharged by the
electric fuse. Houses, trees, and fences went
down before themighty 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-Canie Earnsworth, IA years old.
Fatally Injured-John kann, IS years old ;
farmer, of Auburn Station. John Gugl, 40 years
old driver for the Latin & Rand Powder Com
pany. Mrs. John Gugl "A years old wife Of the
former. Mrs. Eliza Devino, 63 years old wild
ow. Peter Ham, % years old, gardener has
wife and one child. James Shannon, 10 years
old parents reside on Joseph street and Pear
son avenue
Seriously Hurt-Two Kelly brothers, II 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, 100 South Union
street. arm crushed by flying stone, and ampu-
tated. John Lorden, Jr., IL years DID, OF 100
Canalport avenue; leg badly crushed.
Lesser Casualtes-John Jung, so years old,
gardener resides south of Archer road Mrs.
jung 10 years old wife of the former. Miss
Kennedy, Is years old parents reside on john
son street a quarter of mile from the scene.
At Brighton Park Archer avenue takes the
character of the regulation Country road, toler-
ably well graded. but muddy in rainy weather,
and provided with doep bitches on either side.
The road cuts through a 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
q handsome frame structure. To either side Of
the road, within several hundred yards OF the
Tearney homestead, extends level prairie
for miles. few small market gardeners
till little patches OF cultivated soil; other
wise the country around wears arather desolate
aspect. Besides the few human habitations
scattered the prairie, nine queerlooking
structures attracted the eye Of the passer-by.
They do so in n greater degree now, because
with the exception of one they are wrecks.
Built solidly of brick about so by 30 feet in di-
mansions, and OF swo-storied height, they would
look like so many ANAL jails were IL not for the
fact that there arc no windows to admit light
A huge and massive iron door is the only means
of egress and ingress. They all have u 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
A thunderstorm had been raging at intervals
during the early morning hours. IL subsidized
somewhat toward o'clock, but an hour latel
the elements broke loose with renewed fury
The rain fell in torrents, and vivid flashes o.
lightning cleft the dark skies, followed by roart
of thunder
About that time John Kann, young farmer
from Auburn Station, stopped at McLarney
Brothers grocery and saloon TO avoid tn,
drenhcing q rain He had two stout horses attached
to his heavy farm wagon and was pound fol
home. When the heaviest gust Of rain Gbated
seemingly subsiding into regulation all-dal
drizzle, the farmer wrapped himself up in
horse blanket and started his team off on q 10,
down the road. He had TO keep a sharp eye OF
his bays because the lightning came in flashe
which succeeded each 'ther rapidly, as If al
atmosphere had bed concentrated upon thu
spot where the immense stores Of explosive
were scattered along the road near by
In the short intervals between the Lightning
the lurid sky overhung everything with almos
absolute darkness. Suddenly one of the cleo
trio flashes was followed by n terrific crash a
II the earth had been cleft asunder by some un
known gigantic force 1t was the death knell o
the lone traveller on Archer road. Rocks wer
hurled through the air, trees rent TO the roots
fences blown down for miles, houses unroofe
and reduced to splinters and torrents Of mu
showered around for hundreds Of yards. Tn
terrific force Of the explosion made the thunde
of heaven appear insignificant The powde
magazine of Latin d Rand had been struc
by lightning and 500 pounds OF dynamite AM
5000 pounds Of powder went up, creating
havoc as if old Vulcan had split the earth iron
within his subteranean abode. The groun
seemed TO rock and sway under the terrif
force Of the conclusion, and the country 70
blocks around was wrapped in clouds of sti1in
smoke. Mr.. Kann was hurled through the al
for a distance of over a hundred feet hi
hangled body being found half an hour later
ihe base of the unfortunate mans skull wa
blown off, and the brains oozng on
upon the muddy field. Pieces Of WOO
and iron had penetrated his back and cause
horrible gashes all over his body, from whic
the blood was flowing, gathering in pools
All of the clothes of the man, except thos
covering the lower eXtremities, were il Gu
off from his back. only few shreds hangin
loosely around the lacerated form. He wa
suffering untold agonies at the County Hospits
last night. His death is almost a certainty. c
the wagon, only few scattered pieces CAV
witness that the vehicle had been painted
bright red. Both horses were stripped of tn
harness, not a vestige of leather remaining o
them The one on the side Of the explode
magazine was killed instantly, the carcass b,
ing hurled 1nUO the ulIcn on the south SIDE
the road the other horse escaped unharmeC
scampered of into the field, and was later o
caught and stabbed
FREAKS OF THE DISASTER
The force OF the explosion was terrific
tore down or wrecked every house within
quarter OF a mile of the magazine. The su
rounding magazines were unroofed, and severi
OF those nearest had their walls demolishe'
Houses which withstood the shock Of the col
cussion were n second after treated to perfet
shower OF stones and huge powders. The mag
zine was built over a bed Of tough blue clay. II
DYNAMITE as usual with this terrible expl
eive went downward IL tore out q hole twent
feet deep and thirty feet in diameter, shape
much like the bottom of n huge punch-bow
Into this natural mortar the brick walls an
huge foundation stones were tumbled, only
be hurled out the next instant. The princip
was exactly the same and the force OF the mo-
ster missiles as great as IL the huge hole Of cla
had been a mortar of chilled steel and loads
with all the giant powder il would hold. Hul
stones, weighing fully 100 pounds were sci
sailing through the air like solid round she
while a perfect cloud OF broken bricks and spill
tiers Of stone swept over the surrounding cou
try like volley OF canister and grapeshc
Fences we're obliterated and 81 walks uproot'
for half mile around.
POTATOES THROWN OUT OF THE GROUND
Inst east of the exploded magazine there wi