The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-06-17
DEADLY EXPLOSION
Twelve of Uncle Sans Sailors
Blown to Eternity.
HORRIBLY MANGLED AID soORoHED

Their COrpses Are Picked Up Here and
There. Some of Them In Fragments
The Explosion of Shell Works the
Destruction-vallejo Narrow Escape
Chicago Struck by Devastating
Wind-Half Dozen Persons Killed
and More Badly Injured-Three of the
Dead Lost I'm the Lake-Several Build
ings Wrecked.
SAN FRANCISCO, June l4-Residents of
Vallejo were startled yesterday morning
at l1:3O o'clock by a report which shook
the town like sharp shock ofearthquake.
Immediately the fire bells at the navy
yard were rung and the conclusion reached
was that there was fire on Mare island.
But down at the magazine there belched
forth into the sky an immense cloud of
smoke, and for half an hour report after
report was heard as shells exploded. I'M
mediately the entire navy yard force
rushed for the scene, and horrible scene
1t was.
A Scene of CHASTITY Havoc.
The first spectacle presented was the
burned and charred bodies of two appren-
tice seamen on the beach 200 yards from
the point of explosion. Farther on ter
rib!e sight met the gaze. In the midst of
the ruins and all around on the sides of
the hills were seen bodies and pieces of
bodies scattered here and there. The
bodies were taken out as fast as possible,
and when all were put alongside of each
other they counted twelve, with Gunner
Hittinger, Of the Boston, at the head.
Bodies Frightfully MutiIated.
Some were cut in two, others were minus
leg or arm or head. Twelve were killed
outright and three were taken to the hos
pital wounded and dying. Two of the
three were the apprentices picked up On
the beach. The explosion had thrown
them into the bay, and boat from mer-
chairman opposite had rescued them, the
crew then going into the smoke and ruins
for the others. The clothes and skin Of
almost the entire bodies of these two were
blown off.
VIII Never Know How 1t Happened.
There were three magazine watchmen,
named Collins, Burns and Damstedt, on
duty in other parts of the grounds who,
although injured, will live. Waterman
Collins had a narrow escape. A piece of
shell glanced off the top of his head and
left an ugly confusion. How did it hap
pen? was the question asked by hundreds.
No one can ever tell. A working party of
fifteen men from the United States steam
er Boston was sent down to prepare am
munition and fill shells for the ship. All
were at work in the filling room of the
magazine, under charge of Gunner Hit
finger. 1t is supposed that one of the
party dropped shell and that the con-
cussion caused the explosion. Gunner
Hittinger's body was found on the roof
of shell house No. I, having been blown
through the roof of shell house No. 2,
which was afterwards destroyed by fire.
Ready Hands to the Rescue.
One of the first to go to the scene was DR..
Lewis, of the Naval hospital. Notwith-
standing now and then the explosion of a
shell, he braved the danger and went into
the midst of it to save life If possible, but
the explosion had finished it's work, and
he found but one possessed of life, and this
body, filled with pieces of wood and burned
and bleeding, was snatched from the
flames and hurried to the hospital. Mrs.
McDougal, of the lighthouse, with her
daughters Bessie and Carrie, were early
in giving assistance to the wounded,
bringing bandages and doing much that
was necessary at the moment. Almost the
entire crew of the Boston worked hard In
the ruins.
Vallejo Had Close Call.
Among the identified dead are the gunner
and Seamen Ketville, johnson, Joos and
Haeckle. Had the magazine, containing
tons of explosives, been fired Vallejo
would have been shattered. 1t is mir
acle, being as close as it was, that such
did not occur. Hittinger was beyond
doubt killed instantly. His head was
blown from his body. Deceased was APP
pointed from Pennsylvania Oct. %, 1890.