Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-06-14
DEADLY EXPLOSION
Twelve of Uncle Sans Sailors
Blown to Eternity.
HORRIBLY MANGLED AND sCoRCHED

nOhh1Dh1 mhNUhhD AMI SUUhUhhD
Their Corpses Are Picked Up Here and
There. Some of Them in Fragments-
The Explosion of n Shell Works the
Observation-Disclosures Narrow Escape
Chicago Struck by Devastating
Wind-HsIf Dozen Persons Killed
and More Badly Injured-Three of the
Dead Lost in the Lake-Several Build
ings Wrecked.
SAN FRANCISCO, June l4-Residents of
Vallejo were startled yesterday morning
at 1880 o'clock by report which shook
the town like a 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
birth 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
it was.
Scene of CHASTITY Havoc.
The first spectacle presented was the
burned and charred bodies of two appren-
tice seamen on the beach zoo yards from
the point OF explosion. Farther on u 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 FrightfulIy uutilated.
Some were cut in two, Others Were minus
a leg or arm or head. Twelve were killed
outright and three were taken to the hos
pital wounded and dying. Two of the
three we're the apprentices picked up en-
the beach. The explosion had thrown
them into the bay, and a boat from a 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.
Will Never Know How 1t Happened.
There were three magazine watchmen
named Collins, Burns and Damstedt, or
duty in other parts of the grounds who
although injured, will live. Watchmar
Collins had a narrow escane A piece OF
shell glanced of the top of his head and
left an ugly confusion. How did it hap
penn was the question asked by hundreds
No one can ever tell. \ working party of
fifteen men from the United States steam
err Boston was sent down to prepare am
munitiOu and fill shells for the ship. All
were at work in the filling room of The
magazine, under charge Of Gunner Hit
finger. It is supposed that one Of tn,
party dropped shell and tina the con
cussion caused the explosion. Gunner
HittinCer's body was found on the roo
of she'll house No. /, having been blown
through the roof of shell house No. 9
which was afterwards destroyed by fire.
Ready Hands to the Rescue.
One of the first to 60 to the scene was DR.
Lewis, Of the Naval hospital. Notwith
standing now and then the explosion of {
shell, he braved the danger and went into
the midst of it to save life if possible, bu
the explosion had finished it's work, ant
he found but one possessed of life, and thi.
body, filled with pieces of wood and burned
and bleeding, was snatched from tn,
flames and hurried to the hospital. Mrs
McDougal, of the lighthouse, with hel
daughters Bessie and Carrie, were early
in giving assistance to the wounded
bringing bandages and doing much tina
was necessary at the moment. Almost the
entire crew of the Boston worked hard IL
the ruins
Vallejo Had Close Call
Among the identified dead are the gunner
and Seamen Ketville, Johnson, Joos anC
Haeckle Had the magazine, containing
tons of explosives, been fired Vallejo
would have been shattered 1t is a mir
acle, being as close rs it was, that such
did not occur. Hittinger was hey
doubt killed instantly. His head was
blown from his body. Deceased was ap
pointed from Pennsylvania Oct. 2S, 1890.