Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-10
FIVE SUCCESSIVE SHOCKS.


FIVE SUCCESSIVE SHOCKS.
The Giant Powder Works Exploded.
Much Damage Done in Oakland.
OAKLAND, July 9.-The most terrible
explosion that ever occurred in this
neighborhood took place this morning
at the Giant Powder works, just beyond
West Perkeley. The explosion first be-
gan at 9;25 O'Clock, when there were
two sharp shocks that were felt with
terrible distinctness in Oakland. The
next three explosions occurred about
three inmates later, and were even more
sharp than the first reports. The first
explosion was in the nitro glycerine
house and blew that building out
of the ground. Fire spread, and
one by one the magazines began to ex-
plode. There were five distinct explo-
sions and several small ones from small
stores of powder. This is the most ter
rible explosion that has ever occurred in
these works and no other shock has
been felt so severely in Oakland. Frank
Roller, superintendent, and several
others were away at the time and thus
escaped a horrible fate.
There is great damage in West Berke-
ley. Not window is left in the place,
and several buildings are wrecked.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WORKS.
The giant powder works at Highland
station are the original powder works
built by Mr.. Judson, prior to the forma-
tion of the Judson Powder company.
The main buildings, where the manu-
featuring is done, are wooden structures.
About the ground are located number
OF magazines, about 20 feet square, con-
structed of OF brick, in which explosives
are stored. There are fifteen of these
magazines. At Highland station, on
Fleming point, the works where the ex-
plosion occurred, only high explosives
are manufactured, such as giant powder,
nitro gly celine and dynamite. There 10
usually a large amount stored in the
various magazines, and the concussion
from the explosion in the main building
would be sufficient to explode the maya
saes. =. The new workq. near the Contrs
Costa line. have :. "a Tar never been visited
by an explosion. The Ju.A' powder
works are located further in the Ailis
and little beyond the giant powder
works, They were thought to have ex-
ploded also. A telephone message from
there at 10 o'clock, however, said there
had been no explosion there, but only
at the giant powder works.
THE SHOCKS AS FELT IN OAKLAND,
"Another powder explosion was all
the Oakland people eaid this morning
when two heavy shocks we're felt in
close succession. They were not par
ticularly violent as felt in Oakland, and
the people accepted them as part of the
regular business of making powder
along the bay.
Five minutes later, however, there
came still heavier shock and loud
explosion. People rushed into the
streets and had scarcely got there when
the boom of a tremendous explosion fol-
lowed. All over town there was the
crash of broken windows and
falling glass. Women shrieked and
there were many narrow escapes
from injury by shattered glass, In the
Tribune Office one of the the immense
plate glass windows in front was blown
to pieces aud scattered into a thousand
pieces. From all over town come reports
of damage by the tremendous shock.
Heavy iron work was dislodged in places
and windows broken everywhere. It
was the most serious shock of the kind
ever felt in Oakland, exceeding by much
the great explosion of 1881.
Mrs. Painter of Oakland, who was
sick, was SO affected by the shock that
she is DYING The shock was felt all
through the county.
A RELIEF TRAIN DISPATCHED.
The moment the explosion was felt at
the pier and its seriousness realized, a
wrecking train was hastily manned and
set out for the scene. Doctors and all
their appliances for caring for the
wounded were dispatched with it, and
the orders were to send the train
through as fast as it could be carried.
The instructions were carried out to tn e
letter, and the track was cleared as it
sped along on its errand of rescue.
AN ORDER FOR DEAD BOXES,
Halt an hour after the explosion oc-
Cured message was received in Oak
land by the coroner which told in terri
bic language something, at least, OF the
horror of the disaster. It read: "Send
us instantly all the wagons and as many
dead boxes as you have. We cannot
yet estimate the number OF the dead -
In response Coroner Evers immedi-
ately sent out wagons and dead boxes.
He had thirteen altogether.
Nothing definite is known as to the
cause of the disaster, but theories with
out number are rife, and the explosion
is said to have occurred in the nitro
giycerine works.
sHATTERED GLASS IN OAKLAND.
Professor Ssrett, barber at Ninth
and Washington streets, was shaving a
man when the explosion occurred. The
shock was so great that Sarett nearly
cut the mans throat. A window was
also broken in his shop. A large glass
sign in the rear of Laz RoseDb berR's cigar
store was broken to pieces. A large
twelve-foot plate-glass window in the
'front.' room of Anthony q real estate office
at 466 Ninth street was shattered. A
large mirror in Tbomas's barber shop at
Seventh and Chester streets was cracked.
A window in the Schollhaas store
On Eleventh atreet was forced
out By the explosion. A transom