Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-07
Explosion of Dynamite-Seven Persons
Killed and Twenty-Five Injured.

Killed and Twenty-Five Injured.
Copyright, 1885, blythe California Associated Press,
LOCUST GAP (Pa), May CHA car at.
| tached to g freight train on the Pbiladel.
phia and Reading Railroad loaded with
dynamite exploded here to-day. Seven
persons were killed, and twepty-two
| wounded. The explosion was heard a dis.
tance of twenty miles, many supposing il
to be an earthquake.
-Four blocks OF houses near the scene OF
the disaster were raZed in an instant. and
scores of other buildings were more or less
damaged. Eight or ten houses in the i'm
mediate vicinity were ignited, and in less
| than an hour completely DESTROYED.
For several hours fears that the town
| would be wiped out prevailed, as the fire.
men seemed powerless to stay the havoc OF
| the flames.
LIST OF THE KILLED.
Katie Quinn, aged 8; her father, John
Quinn, aged 40; Mary Cavanagh, aged Is
Willie Cavanagb, aged 8; Simeon Ker-
wick's daughter Alice, aged 4, and an in
FAINT only few hours old
AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION
a locomotive with sixty-five cars was try
| ing to reach a side-track some distance be-
yond the cut, through which the train was
rapidly running on a down-grade, as the
Philadelphia passenger express train was
! about due, and had the right of way. 1t
seems the engineer tried to lessen the
speed of the train in the cut but the train
| had attained SO much momentum that the
engineer was forced to keep the throttle
valve open in order TO prevent the cars
colllding with the tank.
The coupling on one car parted, and the
engine was pulling away from the re-
| malnder of the train when the accident
was discovered, and the engine slowed up
| to give the brakeman a chance to repair
the damage.
THE TWO SECTIONS OF THE TRAIN CAME TO-
GETHER
And the dynamite exploded from the force
| of the shock. Houses five miles away were
| shaken to their foundations, and in some
instances partly wrecked. At least fifteen
stores and houses in Mount Carmel were
damaged.
Those persons killed outright were liter
ally blown to atoms, particles of quivering
flesh being blown far and near
Rescuing parties have been at work all
day digging the wounded from the ruins OF
houses and the train.
In Shamokin, six miles away, many resi-
dences were either shaken down or badly
damaged. Window-glass in all parts of the
city was cracked, crockery and bric-a brac
broken. and horses and cattle stampeded.
A general panic reigned.
Private houses near the scene of the
horror have been converted into temporary
hospitals.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
MOUNT CARMEL Pa May 6th.-At the
scene of the accident the railroad runs
along steep hill at the bottom of which
stood two rows of houses occupied by the
Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron
| Companys employees. On the hillside
stood little cottage occupied by John
| Quinn and his family of four children, two
boys and two girls. The force of the ex-
plosIon wrecked the buildings, seventeen
IN all, and the stoves set fire TO the ruins.
Quinn and his two little girls were
| burned to death, but the two bows escaped
| with burns.
Simon Kerwick's family consisted OF
| Mary and Willie CaDnough, adopted chill.
| dren, aged respectfully and IA years, Alice
Kerwick, aged 5, and his wife and new
born baby. Kerwick carried his wife from
the burning building, but the children
were burned to death.
Thirty persons were injured, the most
| seriously being Mrs. Miles Doughertv, leg
| broken, bruised and cut; her mother, Mrs
Matthews, cut, bruised and internally in.
jured Mary, daughter of Mrs. Dougherty
neck cut and bruised Andrew McElwee
| right eye destroyed and neck cut: John
pon)an, left hand amputated and cut
about the limbs Mrs. Patrick McManus
! injured by missiles.
Mrs. Simon Kerwick is suffering from
the shock, and her condition is serious
Several of the injured were sent to the
Miners Hospital.
TERRIBLE FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION.
Twelve cars were destroyed, and seven
| teen houses with their furniture. All the
windows in the Locust Gap churches and
schools were broken and the doors blown
off,
In Mount Carmel large store windows
were broken.