Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-09-01
A DEADLY DISASTER.

Ex pl0sion of 10000 Pounds of
Powder and 10000 Pounds of Dyna-
mite Chicago Shaken from Circum-
ference to Center.
Chicago, Aug 29-At 9:15 o'clock this
morning, in the midst of a heavy thunder
storm, the powder magazine belonging
| to the Latin Rand powder company was
struck by lightning. An explosion fol-
lowed which destroyed property valued
at $75,oOG, besides killing one person
almost instantly, fatally injuring four
and inhicting painful injuries on nearly
| twenty-five others. The combined
efforts of hard fought battle, cyclone
| and the whitening influence of lightning
could not have presented picture of
| more abject desolation and destruction
| than did the country for half mile in
all directions from the exploded maga-
zine. The dsy had opened gloomily. AT
o'clock rain began falling furiously
from immense banks of clouds. Flashes
of lightning were soon chasing each
other across the armament until the
heavens seemed ablaze. The thunder
| was deafening. About 9:15 q
| flash, which all agree was much brighter
than those preceding it, was followed by
q report which 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 Sc
ries of thunder claps which had been the
order Of the morning. All agree that
there was tremendous shaking of the
earth. Articles of furniture not station
afy were thrown about as il they were
playthings in a giants power. Men
women and children were tossed arount
at the will of the terrible, resistles!
force released by the explosion. The
scene of the catastrophe is about two
miles from the extreme southwestern
edge of the city, Dear where Archie
avenue settles down into conventiona
country highway. On one side wav
great fields of ripening corn, on th,
other broad stretch OF prairie runs TO
nearly mile in ali directions. On thi
are or rather were, o dozen plain bu
strongly built houses with wallis of vel
Q low brick, roofs OF slate and iron doors
Those houses were the magazines i
= which the bulk of The powder suppl
Q for Chicago and its territory was stored
i A few people of the humber class bull
their poor homes on the prairie close
bD6 Warehouses; COutdluluS tu0 uSHul
g stuff and lived without fear of disaste
d from their proximity. Right in th
4 midst of the magazines rose the home
M. ). Tiernay, police magistrate of th
g town of Lake, in the limits of whic
lr corporation the warehouses stood. TIL
n house was until to-day an attraotIy
y looking houae two stories high, with
spacious veranda. in front and surrount
' ed by number of substantial ou
l. houses. 1t overlooked road abo,
% forty feet away. Three hundred fe
of northeast of the Tiernay residence was
g little cottage, rudely build and su
. rounded by sheds, stables and hog per
I The magazine of the Latin Rand po,
IN der company was one of the largest OF
ia dozen structures in the neighborhood.
= was substantial brick house, 70x30 fe
in dimensions. with slate roof and
'n iron door OF great strength. The mag
ic zine was 300 feet east OF the cottage
he John Guhl and 700 feet from the zei
,s dence of Mr.. Tierney. When tie rs
began to fall in shs morning the peo[
OF of the vicinity were all indoors, many
We them prolonging their Saturday nigh
lie rest. just preceding tie explosion a 10
,;o vivid electric flame seemed to burst frs
cloud directly over the Lafin- -Ra
iS magazine. In an instant the air v
in filed with flying missiles. Masses