Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-09-13
BY A PREMATURE BLAST
Details of a Horrible Accident at
Spokane Falls, Wash.
Twenty Thousand Cubic Feet OF Rock
Hurled Hundreds OF Feet In all Direc-
tions-Hoyv IL Occurred

tions-How IL Occurred.
ing premature blast in the Northern Pacific
yards, Spokane Falls Wash, killed Is men
and possibly more
1t was just before the hour Of quitting work.
A large force Of men were engaged in blasting
out huge rock pile in the Northern Pacific
freight yards in the eastern part of that city.
From 90 to 70 men were at work in the cut at
the time.
At ii z. NJ, the men engaged in the sad task
of taking out the mangled victims were forced
TO desist because among the rocks which were
being cleared away werei five other blasts that
might be exploded in the task of removing the
mass of debris that buried the victims.
Up to that hour is bodies had been taken
out.
There are yet q men unaecounted for. all
of whom are probably buried beneath the
mighty mass of rock. The ravality was ter
rible. The men were given no chance for life.
1t was either instant death or slight injury.
There was about 200 pounds of giant powder
in the blast. Hhe accident was caused BY some
ones carelessness. The man in charge of the
blast and three assistants were blown TO atoms
1t is the custom to prepare blasts and charge
them at the hours Of IL noon and O'Clock In
the afternoon after the men have left work
and gone to place Of safety to shoot them.
In this ease, however, il seems that one blast
had been prepared, and the foreman, c. Ne.
Pherson, was preparing second. The men
had all finished their work and putting ON
their coats, ready TO go TO their homes. when
they met horrible and unexpected death.
Either the rock was too hot from the action OF
the drills or else the tamping exploded the
second blast, and that exploded the first
A man who was tamping paid the penalty
with his life. A man who stood beside one
who was tamping escaped with slight bruises
although 10000 cubic feet of rock were hurled
for hundreds OBJECT in every direction Another
man who was near the deadly blast and who
was supposed to be dead was seen shortly after
the explosion in halfcrazed condition walk.
ing around with his clothing torn to shreds
The men were working in cut leveling off
the ground for the new freight yards. The
cliff of rock on the side of the cut which was
being removed was 20 feet high. The blasts
are so arranged that the rock is thr own toward
the cut. Not anticipating the blast about 30
men were under the cliff when the blast ex-
ploded. A great mass OF rock and earth raised
in the air and pitched over into the cut, bury.
ing the men beneath its awful weight. None
of them had time to run. but a few escaped in
q miraculous manner.
Over 100 men were at work in the adjoining
cuts, and at once were on the scene OF the ter
rible accident and began with picks and shoy-
els to hunt for the buried bodies. From all
over the huge mass of rocks grOans and shrieks
issued, and the air was filled with the horrible
noise and the appeals Of the wounded and
dying. short half hour, and all was still
except for the workingmen with pick in hand
who, with the light of lanterns, worked lete
into the night removing the dead bodies