The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-11-10
HUNDREDS KILLED.
Steamer Loaded With Cargo of Dyna
mite Blows Up.

Steamer Loaded With "a Cargo of Dyna-
mite Blows Up.
MADRID, Nov. 6.-The Cabo Machi-
caco, Spanish steamship belonging to
Bilbao, caught fire at about o'clock on
Friday afternoon while the steamer
was alongside the quay at Santander
discharging part of her cargo, which
comprised nearly 1900 tons of mer-
chandise, though the main part of this
cargo was iron ore and a number of
sacks of flour, barrels of wine, many
cases of petroleum and over 500 cases
of dynamite, of which only 20 cases
were declared on the steamers mani
fest. The remaining $50 cases of dyna-
mite were contraband, and, to the
shame of the shippers of this contra
band dynamite, IL has caused immense
loss of life and vast damage to prop
erty.
AT about 4:30 p. M. a defamation on
board the steamer showed. as it after
wards turned out, that the boilers had
burst, and soon after there was an
other terrible defamation heard, the
steamer seemed to open in half, send
ing blaze of fire skyward, over which
O crown of smoke rested for several
minutes. A report of such awful in
tensity was heard that it shook the
earth for miles around. caused houses
to totter, smashed every window within
the radius of q rifle shot, filled the air
with an immense mass of flying iron.
burning wood, blackened timbers and
scorched beams, which soon after fell,
q death-dealing hand upon the neigh
boring houses, scattering death and de-
struction wherever it crushed down
ward.
The scene following the blowing up
OF the steamer is almost indescribable
and the effect of the explosion of these
4S0 cases of dynamite will hardly be
believed. The power of the explosive
shot tons of iron into the air where it
mingled with the burning fragments
of the steamship, tug and wooden quay,
as well as the mangled bodies of hun
dreds of the unfortunate people who
were hurled upward at the same
time. and the falling of this hor-
rible mass can be better imagined
than described. Over the adjoining
buildings tottering with wreckage fell
shower of iron followed by huge
pieces of wood and the remains OF
human bodies, and above all dropped
flaming splinters, which set fire to hun
dreds Of buildings, causing n scene of
panic similar. one would imagine, to
the one which would have succeeded
the bursting forth of volcano at the
waters edge.
The force of the exploding dynamite
caused such conclusion that, in adj
dition to shaking hundreds of buildings
off their foundations, it actually sunk
100 small craft in the harbor, in addi-
ton to setting fire to large number of
other vessels and starting flames upon
several. of the larger ships, including
the Alfonso XII, which vessel caught
fire so suddenly and burned SO fiercely
that 40 Of her crew lost their lives on
board of her.
The quay presented one of the most
sickening sights ever witnessed. Man
gled corpses were scattered here and
there or were in heaps, in many cases
upon the wounded and dying, whose
fearful shrieks of agony filled the air
and struck terror into the hearts of
those who after time summoned
sufficient courage to venture near the
carnage ground.
Over 100 people are said to have been
precipitated into the sea by the explo-
sion and there beneath this hail of
blood, wood and iron they met death
with, the crews of the unfortunate
steamer and the tugboat which was
about to tow her into the bay.