New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-08
FORTY-FIVE MEN KILLED.
BURIED UNDER 10000 CUBIC FEET OF ROCK
SPOKANE FALLS-oNLY EIGHTEEN Ii
BODIES RDCOvERED-CACSED By
cnMI; 0Nr,S q pEI ESSNESS,
SOME ONES CARELBSSN

Spokane Falls, Wash. Sept. Thine only mag.
nifes the horrors wrought by the premature ex"
plosion Of blast in the Northern Pacific freight
yards here last night. At IL p. m. the men en-
gagged in the task of taking out the mangled vic.
tins were forced to desiSt, because among tho
rocks which were being cleared away were five
other blasts that might be exploded in the task
Of removing the mass Of debris that buried tho
victims. Up to that hour eighteen bodies had
been taken out. OF these the following have been
identified:
Henry JacoJni vcyellcr. Henry Apell, Charles Vey.
cller Andrew Puelonelio. +. A. Hahn. Joseph Rays
John Cartlinio. James McPherson Roy Pinkney, B.
vttcr j. Talbo. Henry Jacobni. Henry Aptell. A. w.
Warren Isaac johnson, Dan Macarthur. Homer Olsen.
There twenty seven men unaccOuntcd for,
all Of whom are probably buried beneath the
mighty mass of rock. The men had no chance
for life. 1t was either instant death or slight
injury.
There were about 900 pounds Of giant powder
in the blast. The accident was caused BY some
ones carclessncss. The man in charge OF the
blast and three assistants were blown 10 atoms.
II is the custom to prepare blasts and charge them
and AT noon and at o'clock in the afternoon after
the men have left work and gone to place OF
safety, TO set them OH. In this case, how
ever, it seems that one blast had been
prepared and the foreman, c. Mcpherson, was
preparing second. The men had all
finished their work and putting on theif
coats and picking up their lunch-pails ready to
90 to their homes after their days work when
they met horrible and unexpected death. Eithef
the rock was too hot from the action of the
drills, or else tamping exploded the second blast
and that exploded the first. The man who was
tamping paid the penalty with his life man
who stood beside the man who tamping es-
capped with slight bruises, although 10000 cubic
feet of rock were hurled for hundreds of feet In
every direction. Another man who was near the
deadly blast, and who supposed TO be dead,
was seen shortly after the explosion in a half
crazed condition walking around with his CLOTH
ing torn 10 shredS.
The men were working in cut lcvcllinC ot
the ground for the new freight yards. The
cliff Of rock on the side Of the cut which was
being removed was 30 feet high. Tie blasts
are 50 arranged that ~" rock is thrown toward
tie cmt Not anticipating the blast. about thirty
men were under the "h when 1t exploded A
great mass of rock and earth raised IN the AIN
and pitched over into the eat. hnryng the men
beneath It's weight None of them had time
to run. but n few escaped in a miraculous manner.
over 100 men were at work in the adjoining
cuts and AT once were on the scene Of the acci-
dent. and began with picks and shovels TO hunt
for t,c buried bodies From undcr the huge
mass of rock groans and shri"ks issued, and the
air WAS filed with the horrible noises and the
| appcals of the wounded and dying. short
| haf hour, and all was still. except for the
worknemcn with pick in hand. who with the
light of lanterns worked late into the night re,
moving the dead bodies.