The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-10

were lost. At Highland. about half a mile
from West Berkeley. and north of Berke-
ley and Oakland, are located the works OF
the Giant Powder company, consisting OF
the chemical works and the mixing and
packing hOuses-fve large buildings in all
together with three large powder maga-
zines and number OF small ones. IL was
here that the explosions occurred. The
explosions began in the nitro-glycerine
works, and the concusSiou soon caused an
explosion in one of the magazines. FLAMES
broke out, to add to the danger, and,
though IA wrecking train had promptly
been sent from Oakland, the efforts of the
crew We're confined TO n large extent IL
keeping off the great crowd of people that
pressed forward 10 the scene. For within
two hundred yards Of the flames, uuknowo
TO many, was a magazine containing 800
tons OF black powder. the explosion OF
which would have caused a terrible IA
tally.
The work OF gathering up the remains of
the dead was pushed forward rapidly as
possible, but the scene was one OF such
confusion and danger that the work was
slow at best. Chinamen were huddied TO-
Sether In little knots. with scorched faces
and hands, and their suffering was in
tense. Just above the magazine could be
seen the evidence OF the explosion. On the
western slope the scattered timbers Of the
giant powder houses We're blazing furious
ly, while a little yellow stream trlckiing
down toward the bay showed where the
contents of the acid tanks had emptisd
themselves. All the mixing and packing
houses of the black powder department
ana the SULPHUR mill were In ashes. Tue
hrst explosion that occurred caused tue
giant powder magazine TO go up. The
black powder mills lay directly III the path
OF the explosion, aud the burning brands
Were heaped upon the already wrecked
buildings and almost before the frighteu-
ed Chinese employees could collect their
senses the powder in the black mills had
exploded.
lie was for long time impossible to gain
any idea of the number of lives lost. The
company declined to give any particulars.
The most OF the men employed were
Chinese. One estimate is that there were
104, of whom 10l were Cinnamon; but there
Is reason to believe that that estimate Is
not near the real number. The cause of
the explosion is said to have been the up
setting of bottle of acid in the office.
which set fire to the building. Three white
men, who were working in the nitro gly-
cerine house, were killed. They were John
BOwe, Walter Dickerson and Charles
Guberlige. Their bodies, terribly mangled,
were found. Mrs. Painter Of West Berkley,
who was sick, was so affected that she Is
dying. A boy named Berchero was blown
He will die The body OF a Chinaman was
Iound on the railroad track half mile
from the works. The remains of Chinese
boy, trightfully mangled, Were found near
the scene. The accounts cOnIne the list
OF dead among the white men 10 the three
men mentioned. 1t is impossible TO ascer-
tain the exact number OF Chinese killed.
Only two bodies of Cinnamon were found
up 10 this afternoon.
The officials of the Giant Powder COM
pany place their loss at 500, 000 The San
Francisco Chemical works were almost
destroyed. This loss is $50 600.
A later report states that twenty-eight
white men are among the dead. This is
not yet verified, however
SAN FRANCISCO. July 9-The latest re-
port from the scene of the explosion at
Highlands show that it has been definitely
ascertained that five persons lost their
llves-three white employees aud two
Cinnamon.