Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-31

negro, evidently one Of the stevedoree, which
lay directly across the path to the house, and
within n few feet of the gateway. am very
positive that the body, which was entirely nude,
with the exception Of shirt band around the
neck, was not there when passed in few mo-
ments before. II must, therefore, Of necessity
have been in the air and fell Immediately after
1 had passed. A singular feature connected
with the body was that while the skin was not
broken every bone in the body was literally
crushed. To what height It must have been
thrown can only be conjectured. but the dis
lance from the scene Of the explosion was so
great that the altitude that would land it here
must have been immense. Quickly reaching
the brow of the bluff we found the whole pla-
teau below enveloped in smoke.
THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.
Descending the stairway with great difficulty,
it, We could soon hear the cries Of the wounded
and imprisoned officers and laborers. The i'm
mense ware houses had been crushed and dis
mantled in such way as to either kill or i'm
prison all who were within. In addition fire
had broken out in several places and there
was great danger that ii would reach the maya
zine where the reserve supply of powder for
prompt action, it was extinguished.
Troops were at once marched to the scene
and fully one thousand of them stacked their
arms and went to the rescue of their unfortu-
with this immense force it was fully six hours
before the work was completed.
The killed, as 1 remember, numbered about
one hundred and the wounded moro than twice
as many more, and would have greatly exceeded
that number had the catastrophe happened an
hour and o quarter earlier in the day, as the
wharf Of the mail steamer was but few rods
below and was totally destroyed. The steamer
carried over four hundred passengers to WASH
ington that day, not one of whom would prob
ably have lived to tell the tale.
GEN. GRANTS SENTRY KILLED.
The sentry in front of General Grants tent
was killed while pacing his beat by falling
cannon ball, as were many other soldiers who
were off duty but in the immediate vicinity.
The wharves were torn up and the ware houses
demolished for great distance, and stores of
every description were Destroyed. Large guam
titles fell into the river and were carried off by
the current. Nothing was ever seen or heard
OF Sergeant Fritz or any Of his gang OF twenty
five colored stevedores. Many others were
ers went around with bags gathering and bury
ing fragments Of human beings. The vessels at
anchor suffered great deal from falling ma
terial and balls. Some Of these balls went
through from the hurricane deck to the keel Of
steamers, but fortunately no further. do not
that was known to be on poor Fritzs barge,
but the destruction wrought would signify .
large amount. Both armies distinctly heard
the explosion, although the troops were from
nine to twenty miles distant.
NOT CAUSED BY INTERNAL MACHINES.
A great deal has been said and written about
the cause Of the explosion, and in the Writ
trial at Washington after the war was over evil
dence was produced to show that it was the re-
suit of Internal machines which were placed
there by rebel agents and spies, but shall al
ways believe that Sergt. Fritz's fears were
realized and that it was the result of the explo-
sion of one of the shells in a box which was &C
cidentally dropped from the deck to the hold
OF the barge which he was discharging and
thus igniting the whole cargo.
My personal loss consisted Of the report, Of
which we could never find a page or line land
it was afterward suggested by some of the boys
as a joke that possibly did not make it), my
hat and a gold pen, which was probably more
than balanced by an increase in knowledge as
to the destructive qualities Of gunpowder un-
der certain conditions.
In conclusion 1 may add that a somewhat
extended experience with each leads me to the
conclusion that in time of war an army may be
hkened to the army mule, Of which it may be
truthfully said that the greater danger to man
often Turks in the rear. J.W.P.