The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-07
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
HA voc CAUSED BY 4 CARLOAD OF
DYNd MITE
Seyera, Persons Killed and NuEaber
Wounded Eight Houses Burnt, and
Four Blocks LevelIed-CaBse OF the
Disaster-rele.raphic News.


SHAMoKIS, PA, May 8 "A freight train
on the Philadelphia i Reading X. X. was
passing through Locust Gap, six miles
from This place, at II O'Clock last night,
when car loaded with dynamite explod-
cd, killing seven people, wounding TWEEN
~ (some seriously, burning eight houses,
leyeling four other blocks TO the ground,
and wrecking hundreds OF others. The
following are the names of the killed ::
John Quinn, aged 40; Kate Quinn, aged
g; Willie Kayanaugh, aged 10; Mary
Ksyanaugh. aged 9 Alice kerwick, aged
A; infant child of Simon Kerwick, born
during the afternoon.
The engine drawing seventy cars was
running down the grade nj rapid rate
to make siding one mile west Of the
GAP TO allow the Philadelphia fast line
south the right of way The engineer
slowed up when In the Gap, but the cars
had attained such a momentum that he
WAS obliged to run fast to keep the tank
from being bumped. The head OF the
steam was too much for the couplings,
aud the seventh car from the locomotive
broke loose and the engine was stopped
to make new coupling, when the broken
train met with a shock sufficient to eX.
plode the dynamite. The force of the
explosion
sHooH THE GROUND FOn TWENTY MILES
around. wrccking N, any houses in Mount
Camel and the ncighbOrhOod. The train
men, aided by the horror stricken inhabl.
tants, rushed 10 the rescue and succeeded
Ia saving many lives from the burning
buildings OF the dead nothing remains
but
FEW CHARRED CHIPS or BONE
found in the ruins \ subscription list
has been started in Shamokin and neigh
boring towns \ number of the wounded
have been taken to the Miners Hospital
BUILDINGS COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED.
The Reading Railroad track at the
poin, OF the accident, Just az the extrene
western end OF the town, il about two
hundred feet above the level OF the
street and runs alongside the mountain
At about this distance below the road
there is a street containing one single
dwelling on the north side and three
double ones on the south. OF these
seven nothing now remains They were
completely torn down 10y the explosion,
and then fire did the rest IL was in
these that all the deaths occurred. Mr..
and Mrs. Kerwick, who lost their three
children, had
A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
The man was blown out of the window
and only slightly Injured. lie then got
his sick wife out The burning building,
and afterwards rescued several of his
neighbor's children, which in his dazed
condition, he believed his own. About
hundred yards below these buildings,
there is another row OF four double
houses, and these are terribly demolished,
but the fire was arrested 10y the prompt
ness OF the dweilcrs In cxtingushlng the
burning coal of The stove. On the same
street, some 300 yards cast, stand nine
more houses, a row OF four double and
one single while not SO entirely demoi-
shed they, too, show plain evidence OF
the destructive force OF the explosion.
Boards are town out, roofs cayed in, and
the interiors are simply masses OF
wrecked furniture SO great was
THE UPWARD FORCE OF THE EXPLODING
POWDER
that the car wheels and aXles were throw
a distance Of 200 yards One axle fell
through the root OF one of the houses on
the lower street On the bill above
traces of the debri, may be found Il
quarter of mile away, while between
that distance and the wreck there are
quantities OF the debris Of the cars.
THE WRECKED TRAIN,
in addition to the cars of powder and
dynamite was freighted with cars OF
Singer sewing machines, glass, phosphate,
oil, lumber, flour, and sheet iron. Within
radius of sixty feet there is perfect
litter OF these goods all broken and mixed
up. Trees near the train were uprooted,
while one large one was blown on
TOD of freight car. The lumber
car was loaded with flooring, and
where this was blown up the hill
many of the long pieces are stuck Ia
the ground. Beneath the wrecked train
there is large hole about 10 feet in di-
ameter, the work Of the dynamite. None
| of the train hands near the accident were
injured, although one il said to have been
blown a considerable distance. The en-
gineer of the locomotive, who was very
| close at the time of the explosion, was
stunned. but soon recovered. The suf.