The Forrest City times., 1888-05-12
4 prxaxIrE pIsasrER-
rz.s1 Ezpts~ssz .~@ Fhzz18~lpAta .s
 E<&fEz< Fr~arAz T-zzz-


 LocUsT Gar. Pa May a-Ozs os the Esos- zVFzIIinx ez-zs1r1 VAes that the Psnz<T8vzzi7 zw-zracs.e rsxie1 las known foE years osasurred a late ksszr Ixs< EizAt. Whsa tEo ears IOa5si wi-h eFzazi-e ard Ezz1t peHler klew zY wE-h terrific forre. and thez wels -rzsE4inz down EFsz a vroEp 0f bgzses sztaztsd d the foe< of the eisTSt5cz wberE the exE50siaa oe.zgre8- Tk- 5gzses were conpietesy dszz0liskezI and the ruins took fire Eglt persozs were instantly kiEe1- and tlle Euzzher cf injured ts between tEsnry-sTe and shiTzy-
 CAUSE 0F THE DEslAsTEE-
 The ezuse of The terrible disaster wa s1EnethiEZ VeeulizT. Ihe frexat tran lacked into a sdEg zt ths F,.zoe Co allow the passuE e1 the fGs- alnz. Whieh fs due z1 <hauoxin Ss lG59 o'clock When pElI.fag ussE s0rne of tie cars became de11cheI a11 Eaa into othsrs abort distance of The c1z- ezlss 9n e4nssd the exp.aslan Cf zlls sg- nsEalle and the TgWlsr- flfe rt q. whIea was soEnEtainz terTltss- sh4rfeE- 5nZ zs t did q n1fntsT Cf Wiui1Es i1 MO8nt Carmel. two and hzf mIies distant and Eas distinctly he4H1 IEs -tlzr1ckin- sx mics away
 Tie Reading E2iIF0sd track ct tlze point Of the zccsdent yBs1 q. the eE- trsEne western end of the t0En Es about 2go feet above tte ssTel uf ihe street and runs alonZ Zsifle the mountain At 7tout this distance be30E tae road there is a street containing ore slls-e dwelling on the north side ard three double ones on tbe south. Of thess seven ngfhsn- now remains. tzey were completely torn down i5g tte eZEiosiGn- and then fire dsd Eiae rest l. was i1 these that all the deaths osseETsel- Mir. and Mrs. ke-Wick- wiss lost the three children. had niraellazs ese2pe. he man wzs hSEu nEf sse vIEIf.oS and only slightly iniuTsd- He thea got his sick wife out of the turning build ing and afterwards ressegsesl several If hEs ne4ghA0Ts children Wbieh- fn AHs dazed c0ndi iti0D- be believed hzs own
 About lto yards below these hntld- ings tbeTt is an0tEsE F0w el Ur don ble h0ases- Tree are tern r deEu0i- lSsIesl. but the fire was arrested ty tsae pr0mpfness of tie dWesiers in extffg- gushing the burning coal of tiss store. Or the same s1K1et. some s1 yards east. stand nine more h0usss g r9w os ] four double and one single WhEie u8s ss entirely demolished they too show plain evidence of the destrzscfive force of the ! exp.0sion. Boards are torn out. roots caved iB tho interiors are simply nl4sses 1f wrecked furniture.
 THRowx TWO HUNDRED YARDS.
 So great was the upward force Of the E exploding powder that ear wheels were thrown a distance Of 70 yards. One axle fell through the roaf 0f Cne of E the houses oa the lower stFeet 0n the hill aiz0ge traces of the debris nay Ae found quarter of Q mile away. while ! fetween that distance and tie eEerk there are quantities of the deaEis Of the cars.
 Tie wrecked train in aldit5en t0 the cans of powder and dynamite. Was freighteei with milk. sewing E8achines [ glass, plsosGh8te. oll. lumteg. hour and sheet iron. Within radius Cf sixty feet there is perfect litter of theSe E goods. ali broken and HI1esI ID. Trees near the train were upE0osed. while one larger one was blown ou t0p0f s ffeiE bt car The Iumiier ear was loaded with flooring and where tAis va hlown up the hili mang of the .cng pieces are stuck in the ground. Beneath the wrecked train there k a large hole about fifteen feet in diameter. the work of the dynamite. None of the tFa n hands near the accident were injured. although one is said 10 have iSe ? blown a considerable distance The engineer Of the locomotive which was very close at the time of the explosion, was st nned. but soon recovered.
 The sufferers were on su} piled with all the help that willing hands could give. as shortly after the explosion large numbers of people were on the scene. To-day all the roads leading tc the horrible wreck were linel with vehicles going and returning.
 Locust Gap is a place Of about 20E inhabitants IL has been fiouTishiHg mining town. but to-day presents a scene of ruthless ruin. the heaps Oi debris with here and there traces Of the the chaIred remains of the victims pre- senting spectacle almost inde scribabie.
 H