The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-05-23
THEY GOT RID OF 1T
The Towns Of Granite and Philipsburs
Receive q Severe Shaking Up.
The Novel Manner In Which the
Granite Mining Company Ridded
Themselves of q Carload of
Giant Powder.
Special TO the Sfandard.

Special to the Standard
PHILIPsBURG, May y. The Granite
Mountain Mining company about three
years ago, while John w. Plummer was
yet superintendent, bought a carload Of
powder from some California powder
company branded Forsyth" II proved
to be a very inferior quality, and the COM
pany refused payment. They offered to
pay for what they had used, and wished
TO return the rest. This arrangement the
powder company refused, and q law suit
resulted, In which il is understood the
powder company came out second best.
However that may he, the powder has
been In the Granite company's powder
house for b past three years. The Gram
tie company never use any material OF
any kind hat is not of the very hest quail
ity, consequently they had no use for this
powder, and, as they did eed the room II
occupied, IL was decided by Superintend-
ent Weir TO In some way destroy il. Yes
terday 20 5O-pound boxes of II were
hauled out to a point about three miles
from Granite and about ~three-quarters
Of n mile from Rumsey. The powder was
stacked up on the ground, saturated with
coal oil and a brush fire built around
enough away to- be safe, caught
the powder and burned il completely
up without exploding. As the expert
ment worked SO successfully II was con-
clIded to burn il all to-day, and at about
9:31 this morning $50 boxes. over three
same point and the same process was
gone through with. No sooner had the
powder iRnited tina an explosion took
place that, while not particularly disas-
trous in its results, was simply terrific.
In this city, which is at least six miles
1 .l,aA..ns H. al.-.lr ..,A x.ssu I..-. l.l
ut Granite, three miles from the explosion,
some windows were broken, goods on the
store shelves were turned over and until
the cause became generally known there
was the widest excitement. At Rumsey,
which was only about th~ree-quarters Of a
window i'm h place was broken. In one
OF the boarding houses two men were eat
ing a late breakfast and the
dishes were thrown off the table
and young lady who waits
on the table was violently thrown down,
but not seriously injured. A large rock,
about The size of n mans head, was
thrown clear through n of the Rumsey
boarding houses, and, strange as il may
appear, there was no one hurt. From
Judge Gallagher of Granite, who visited
the ground shortly after the explosion, it
Is learned that where the powder was
stacked, there is a hole in what was al
most solid granite, about five feet deep.
Large granite boulders were ground up as
fine as -four and n cabin standing about
fifty yards from the powder was literally
blown out of existence, no sign of IL being
left. One of the extension stations of the
Granite company's tramway, between
Granite and Rumsey, was blown down,
hut il does not affect the running of the
tram. Altogether il was n very lucky
accident and should serve as n lesson TO
those who sometimes for mere bravado
play with giant powder, thinking il harm
less. After thise experience of the Granite
company's, they will not he able to say
that they didn't know IL was loaded.