The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-04-23
All That was Left Of the Building
After the Explosion was Quick
ly Consumed by
Fire.
The Cause of the Explosion is not
Known 49, The Effect i'm the
Neighlnr!l0oi was Like
an Earthquake.


49, - NNI''' 49,
The works of the American Forcite
Powder company on the shores of Lake
iIupatcong. about a mile below here,
blew up at about 3 o'clock this afternoon
and seven men were blown to atoms.
The names of five Of them are as follows:
j. ID. Smith, superintendent of the works,
married. and leaves a widow and one
child; Jacob Carlson. aged % years. mar
ricd, and leaves five children: William
Pierce. aged Is years. married, and leaves
a widow and two children: James Nagh,
aged 20 years, unmarried; y. johnson.
aged 80 years. unmarried. Another body
has been recognized as that of a Swede
whose name is unknown. Two men
were injured. One IF them. BENJAMIN
Cashmere. is so terribly burned and
mangled that he will probably die. The
explosion occurred a few minutes after 3
o'clock and five buildings were shattered
What caused the explosion will never
he known. The works of the company
consist Of a number of small buildings
scattered at about a distance Of 800 feet
from each other. Most of the buildings
were used in the mixing process and
only one MAJ was employed in each.
The other buildings. which stand further
away from the lake on the side of the
mountain. are used for the storage Of
dynamite. nitro glyccrine and ~detonaturs.
The works have been frequently the
scene of explosions. bat never to such an
extent as today.
The explosion occurred while all the
men were at work and created a panic.
M, ,.n,, ,,,,1-... -. l-.Il:.. IT..
from those blown up at first heard Il
roar and then the buildings in which
they were working shook and trembled
for fully a minute. Then came the ex-
plosiOn which sounded far louder than
the simultaneous explosion of half a
dozen of the largt ST %cannons. The startled
men rushed from their work and saw ii
cloud Of dust and smoke flying through
the air near the lower part Of the com
pany's grounds. They knew in a mo-
ment what had happened and fearing
that the conclusion might set of the cy-
~plosives in the other buildings they took
To their heels and ran for the mountain
side. After a few moments when they
saw no further danger was imminent.
they cautiously advanced to the scene of
the explosion. The wrcckagc was al
ready on tire and was burning t~ierccly.
The men went to work al once to over
maui the wreck in search of the men
had been at work in the ruined
buildings, Within a few minutes they
succeeded in finding two men. both Of
whom were badly injured. These were
quickly removed to the company's office
and a doctor was sent for.
Meanwhile the cOmpanyS fire apparat-
us was run out and water from the lake
used to tight the fire. As soon as
fiamcs were under control the roll of
cOmpanys employees was called and
IL was found that seven were missing.
Search for their bodies was Their begun.
The searchers were mostly old employees
If the company and knew that in a case
IKE the present n it was useless to
among the ruins. They found the
fragments Of flesh and bones scattered
over several acres of ground. In fact
found 100 pounds of flesh and bone
which is all that remains of the bodies of
victims. What could be found was
gathered up in boxes and will be buried
~ the company.
The representative of the company was
seen after the explosion and said it would
Re impossible to ascertain what caused
he explosion. There have been numer
'us explosions at the works. but none SO
Intensive as that today. The same gen
leman SAID the company had never OK
'ected that such a big explosion could
The buildings being separated
nd each independent of the other it was
eldom that more than one mans life
vas in danger. All of the explosions of
he past had been in the houses used for
the explosives. The storage
ooms had never been affected. When
if an investigation would be made
he said it was almost useless to hold one.
The explosion had left little of the build
ngs. 1t would be impossible to ascer-
ain how the explosion occurred or even /
he simplest thing about it. There was
ne ma whom it was possible might I
ave been able to have told the story. {
'ut he was the nan at whose bench the ,
.rst explosion happened and consequent !
Y he was dead. (.
The explosion shattered all the win /
Ows within two miles of the scene of :
he disaster. Glasses in the barroom of /
he Schaefer hotel were broken and the {
uests in the house we're greatly startled. I
It the landing, the railroad depot was !
.aken until the beams cracked and $
very pane Of glass in the building as
,ell as those in the houses around we're
lown out.
There are two other powder companies
0 this vicinity. The Atlantic Giant |
company IS at Kenville. three !
niles away, and the United States stor- f
ge depot station is at Dover, which is ]
bout seven miles from the scene of the |
explosion. The explosion was plainly {
1T at Kenville, and the employees at J
'ork there, thinking it was part Of their {
wn works which had blown up. left
heir benches. I
The Judge Unhell- \