Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-07-10
A GIANT EXPLOSION.
OVER ONE HUNDRED PERSONS, pRlN-
ClPALLy CHINESE, KILLED.
pcwder-works DESTROYED Othcr Build
ings Miles Away Damaged More or
Less-Tho Property Loss Great.
rBy telegraph to tho Dispatch


San FRAScrsco, July Am explosion
occurred at the Giant and the Jutson
powder-works. near West Berkoly, shortly
after O'clock this morning. Destroy
ing the works and much property tor
several miles around. Five shocks were
felt in this city within few minutes. the
last four being of terrific force. shaking
buildings. cracking number of walls. and
breaking plate-glsss in buildings eight
blocks up from the wafer front.
The scene of the explosion is twelve
miles from this city. The Giant Powder
Works were completely destroyed. One
hundred and eighty men. principally Chi
nesc. were employed there. IL Is now be-
lleved that l0i persons wers killed. III
Guiding three white men. The explosion
set adjoining buildings on FIRE. and. owing
to the danger Of additional EXPLOSIONS, no
one is venturing near the works to stop
the progress OF the flames. The bre IA IN
close proximity to q magazine containing
800 tons of powder, and the fear 10 ex-
pressed that that, too, may be destroyed.
wHrrx yES KILLED.
Among the white men known 20 have
been killed are Wallace Dickinson. Charles
Canburdy. and John Bow. The body OF 8
Chinamau was found on the railroad track
half a mile from the works. The remains
of boy, frightfully mangled, were found
near the scene. Every window in the
county jail at Oakland was broken py tne
explosion. All windows IN residences IN
the town of West BerkelY were broken
and several buildings are reported de-
stroyed.
Al the Office of the Giant Powder Com
pany IN this city il was thought that the
Judson works which are located at Lo-
belle, about three miles from the Giant
works. were safe. The Giant works are
located ut Point Isaoel and comprise hve
buildings and three magazines. ~ THESE
buildings the acid and nltro-giycerine
works were destroyed, and az least one
magazine was blown up. The other build
ings not Immediately destroyed look IRE.
The loss on the property Will be great.
FRISCO SERIOUSLY sHAEEN.
The explosion shattered windows all
over San Francisco, blew in sky-lghts.
| broke pate.glass on Montgomery avenue.
California street, Montgomery street,
Kearney street. and other thoroughtares,
| and caused people TO rush into the streets
as though q CONFUSION was about to tumble
| all the buildings about their ears. Inc CON
sternation was still at its height when
there followed two more shocks. little less
|
! been felt. Glass ratified into the streets
! all over the city. and not few buildings,
according to their inmates. came near col
| lnpsing. Men IN the tower or the nre-
alarm station were sure that the structure
was gong TO collapse.
| FELT EIGHTY MILES AWAY.
The intensity of the shock can be appre-
| ciated when 1t il known that 1t was dis
tnctly felt at Sacramento. eighty miles
distant. and that windows were cracked at
| Napa and other points along the bay shore
twenty-five miles from the scene OF the
explosion.
The powder company decline to give
| particulars regarding the number of men
| emnloved. but the three white men here
tofore mentioned are believed to be all
the whites killed. As to the Cinnamon,
| no definite information can DO had, but
| the figures heretofore given lOl killed.
| are probably exaggerated. One magazine
| containing 300 tons of giant powder and
| dynamite escaped destruction. Every
| thing else went up. The loss IS between
| $4,000 and 100000.