, 1889-02-14
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
A House Wrecked by Giant Powser But
Ita Occupants Escape.

Its Occupants Escape.
The neighborhood of Montana and Sill
yer streets were considerably shaken up
Saturday morning by an explosion that
took place in house on the northeast cor
ner of where these streets cross, Gays the
Butte Miner. II 10 one-story brick struc-
ture divided by thin wo oden interior par
titions into two tenements, and 10 frail
looking structure at best. II belongs to
in which the explosion took place was
rented by Mrs. Connor. Recently four
men working on John A. LeaRatt's mine,
the Washington. the shaft of which is
west OF Montana street, went to room
with her. Among them was Finn
named John Talkar. He has been several
years in this country, and worked in Col.
orado before coming here.
|. He worked on the day shift and having
some dozen sticks of giant powder that
were slightly frozen, which he wanted to
terday morning and undertook to thaw
them out on the stove in bis sleeping
room. Two of the other miners, Gus Ger.
ry and Andrew Hansen, who roomed
there. were then asleep In the room. Mrs
| Connor was also IN the house In a rear
room. Il was between 8 and 10 o'clock
when Talkar went to the room. The
stove stood within Ave feet of the
front door close to board par.
tition. on which rested y short brick chin.
ney. HA placed two. sticks OF the giant
door and the other ten on the floor un.
derneath the stove. The sticks were not
as much frozen a. he thought, or the thaw.
ing properties of the stove were more
powerful than he calculated, for just as he
was in the act of reaching for the sticks
they exploded. wrecking the whole interior
Of the house. Talkar received a
good deal of the powder in his
face and breast and was blown
out through the door into Montana
street in dszed condition, but miracul.
of the inmates of the house were equally
lucky. escaping without q scratch. 1alkar
was taken to an unoccupted cabin on the
opposite side of the street, belonging to
Mr.. Leggat, where q physician attended
him who found him comparatively unin-
jured. He complained of feeling sore in
his breast and suffered from the shock.
Mira. Connor, In the course of the day, be.
came seriously Ill from the effects of the
shock, and was taken to the house of her
daughter, Mrs. Gates, in the neig borhood
Gery and Hansen were both no disRusted
at the stupidity of their comrade that. they
would not 90 near him at the cabin, and
although word was sent at once to the au.
thorities. Talker was left unattended all
day in the cabin.
The wonder ia that any of the house was
left standing, The interior partitions
were wrecked. the canvas lining hanging
in strips, the ceiling blown in showing the
raftere, and hole in the floor where the
stove had stood, together with the debris
on the floor, showing the effect OF the ex.
plosion. That IL was not more serious in
its effects was due to two cuases-the giant
powder not being in confined space and
q deep cellar allowing the powder to ex
paDd its force in the way natural to it.
Fragments of the stove showed it the
most serious sufferer by the explosion.
The northern half Of the house Is occu-
pied by family named Davis. Mrs.
| Davis was at home ut the time of the ex-
plosion, and thought some one had been
playing tricks with her neighbor's FIRE.
wood, putting powder in it, The wooden
partition between the two houses was left
standing, hut the canvas lining next it had
house was undisturbed, with the exception
that the pictures were blown out oi
their frames. and bird cnRe blown
of its perch. The door handles
Of several houses near by were
blown of. Such were apparently all'the
! effects OF the explosion. Undoubtedly but
for the cellar there would have been nm
other tale to tell. with the probability that
the whole house would have been blown tc
p!eces, and more or less serious injury X
the inmates.
The trick of thawinR out giant powder
this way is not an nncomnGp, one, Rnt
Talkar said he had done II hundreG
times before without danger. IL WAS 1
most criminal act. however. to undertake
in q house in u thickly inhabited neigh
borhood. -