The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-07-11
FEARFUL EXPLOSION.
Over q Hundred Lives Lost Near
San Francisco.
BIG POWDER MILLS DEMOLISHED.

Many Windows Broken In San
Francisco, Twelve Miles Distant,
BY the Force of the Great Blast.
A Chinaman's Body Blown Half a
Mile.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 1.-THE Giant
Powder company's works at Highland,
on the cast side Of San Francisco bay
and twelve miles from this city, blew up
Saturday, killing three white men and
number Of Cinnamon. Just how many
lives were lost in the explosion is not
known. It is reported that there are 104
de ad all told, but only few OF the
bodies have been recovered.
Only three of the persons killed, so far
as known, were Americans. These are
their names: John Bowe, Wallace Dick.
erson and Charles Guberlige.
A terrific explosion shook the city and
was followed by four more, little less
severe, which broke plate glass on the
leading thoroughfares and caused people
to rush into the streets. There was
great fear that buildings would col
lapse. The shock was Felt at Sacra-
mento, eighty miles away, and at Napa
and other points along the bay shore
twenty-five miles distant, window glass
was cracked.
Along the east side of San Francisco
bay are number Of large powder man
ufactories. At Highland, about half q
mile from West Berkeley and north OF
Berkeley and Oakland, are the works of
the Giant Powder company, consisting
of chemical works, mixing and packing
houses, five large buildings in all, to-
gether with three large powder maga-
zines, and q number of small ones.
Flames Add to the Danger.
The explosion in the nitro glycerine
works and the conclusion soon caused
an explosion in one of the magazines.
Flames also broke out to add to the dan
ger, and though wrecking train had
promptly been sent from Oakland the
efforts Of the crew were copflned to q
large extent to keeping off the great
crowds Of people that pressed forward
to the scene, for within 20Vyards of the
flames, unknown to many, was maya
zine containing 800 tons of black pow
der, the explosion of which would have
caused terrible fatality.
The flames from the burning packing
and mixing houses were terrific and
drove the crowds back repeatedly.
Cinnamon were huddled together in lit
tlb huDtS WIN bCUlGlCu lhCEb anu udIuSt
and their suffering was intense. Even
surgeons were prevented from passing
the guards, for the largest of the black
powder magazines lay just over the
brow of the hill, and flames from the
burning wreckage were creeping nearer
and neArer.
Just about the magazine could be seen
evidences of the explosion. On the
western slope scattered timbers of the
giant powder house were blazing fu-
riously, All the mixing and packing
houses Of the black powder department
and sulphur mill were in ashes. The
damage to the black powder works alone
will amount to over SIC. 900.
The first explosion caused the giant
powder magazine to go up. The black
powder mills lay directly In the path of
the explosion and burning brands were
heaped upon the already wrecked build
ipgs, and almost before the frightened
Cinnamon could collect their senses the
powder in the black mills had exploded.
The cause of the explosion is said to
have been the upsetting Of bottle Of
acid in the office, which set FIRE to the
buildings.
A Chinaman Blown Half a Mile.
The head engineer of the glycerine
house was blown twenty feet and
knocked senseless. The first explosion
gave the men in other departments
warning and they ran in time TO escape.
Mrs. Painter, of West Berkley, who was
sick, was so shocked that she is believed
to be dying. A boy named Borchero
was blown through the roof Of one OF
the buildings. He will die.
The body of Chinaman was found
on the railroad track half mile from
the works. The remains of Chinese
boy frightfslly mangled were found
near the scene. John Farley, work
men, walking near the mixing house,
was blown into the bay, but swan out.
One of the most stirring features Of
the explosion was the extent of damage
in the way Of broken windows that 1t
caused in this city, twelve miles from
the scene.
The officers Of the Giant Powder com
pany say it is almost impossible to esti-
mate their loss, but 100000 will prob
ably be the outside figure for the dam
age to the powder works. The San
Francisco Chemical works, owned by
Egbert Judson and 8. l.. N. Shepard,
were almost completely destroyed, and
their loss is not for from $150,000.