Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-09-13
CARTRIDGE FACTORY BLOWN Up |
Over Three Hundred Lives Lost
and Many Terribly
Mangled.
President Harrison Appoints a
California Minister Chap
lain of the Army.
An Awful Disaster.

A terrible explosion Of dynamite occurred
Sept in cartridge factory in the vicini-
~ of the bourse in Antwerp. The factory
was also situated behind the docks upon
which millions OF cartridges were being
loaded. 1t was adjacent TO the petroleum
stores and two large Russian petroleum
warehouses were set on fire.
The explosion occurred in workshop
where old cartridges were being taken 10
pieces. Men and women were actively at
work breaking them up and %, 0o0, 900 had
been partly broken.
Adult five hundred persons were injured
The loss will be many million francs 1t
was impossible TO extinguish the flames for
several days. Owing TO the intense heat
the tiremen are unable to approach the
flames nearer than 100 yards.
The explosion occurred in the Corvilian
cartridge factory. The establishment had
been condemned by the communal council,
but the deputation permanente had allowed
work TO continue The victims are mostly
factory girls. Windows three miles dis
tant were shattered by the explosion.
Scores were taken TO the hospitals dur
ing the night. Some were suffocated by
the smoke, and others were shot through
and through by dying proiectiles or manned
by falling debris. The density of the smoke
arising from the oil and saturated with il,
rendered breathing in it impossible, and the
strongest men were overcome by IL within a
short distance OF safety.
One hundred and ten thousand barrels of
crude petroleum, mostly Russian, which is
the nastieth on earth, were burned. Two
thousand tons of cartridges exploded at
once. The explosion shook the whole city,
and the sound of it was heard over an area
of 30 miles.
Limbs and fragments of bodies were
found at incredible distances. Several
heaps of charred human remains have been
collected. None of the fragments can bc
identified. Many persons, cut of from the
city and pursued by the flames, jumped IN o
the water and were drowned by DOZENS or
burned 10 death by The blazing oil that
poured down upon the surface of the river
Bullets flew around like hail stones ard
those who sought 10 escape through the
streets were shot down in their tracks.
The fullest estimate Of the killing 800, is
in all likelihood justified. The city water
works, with their vast and elaborate ma
chinery, are partially destroyed, and what
is left is so badly damaged as to be useless.
This cuts on the water supply OF consid
cradle portion of the city, and much dis
tress and sickness are expected as conse.
quence. No such calamity, meeting all the
elements of horror, has been known since
the days of Ava.
II appears that as measure OF precau-
tion large proportion OF the forty millions
of cartridges in the Corvilain factory had
been buried in the ground. After the ex-
plosion the men employed in the petroleum
warehouses close at hand turned on the
taps of the reservoirs containing millions
of gallons of the liquid. Flowing along
the trenches the petroleum reached the
powder mandatory and penetrated 10
where the cartridges were buried. The
fire spread TO these cartridges, and frequent
and loud reports were heard as the pack
ages of cartridges exploded from time to
time, adding 10 the panic Of the population.
With regard 10 the question of response
bility various reports are circulating. The
town council has issued proclamation
throwing all the responsibility upon the
provincial council IL is probable that law
suits will spring out of the affair.