Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1895-01-25
AN NAPPALLINGEXPLOSION
GIANT POWDER MOWS DOWN
PEOPLE BY THE SCORE,
A Frightrul Catastrophe During
Fire In the Railroad Yards at
Butte, Montana-Thc Scene After
the Accident Looked Like u bat.
tledcld d-Ftrcmeu DerImntcd

tlefiold-Ftrcmeu Dccimntcd
During arn in the Montana CnntrSl Rail
way yards Gt Butte, Montan1. several cars oi
powder caught fra AMI oxplo lol with trr-
nendous force, killing n number Of fr"men
AMI spectators nni rnaimin; many other.
There wore three 'HSr.te explosions. IN.
first two breaking nearly "vr-v window
within n Illus ~ two miles Tho nro at
tractet n largo crowd, AMI hun4reis were
standing near whom tho flrst explosion o..
currel
Mon AMI women wHrH NOVEL down like
Cr1ss nefor" 4 sickle. hut many were stunned
by the forc' 0f the terrific explosion. Debris
from cars AMI adjoining buildings was scat
;erel nigh in tho air FOR half milo away.
many o. the flying ar;trlcs striking pcoplein
The rrnwl
On the day after IT,, trag ,Iy il was GER
tain that n q rNss than sixty. nn perhaps as
many as 1no, wcrn killed.. N lNast flry wers
inurei
About fifty holes were rsrovero'. Fifty
more We're then missing Many were 80
manglei as to hafIin iIcntrh 'ption.
The deal. so far as ihentih'l ara: J H.
Miller, attorney. Sllmnn CITY. Ilaho J. n
Cameron. Fire MAJ shnl Georcs Filter. FRA
man Jack Sloan. fireman William McGec
fireman c. T. Trnr"v. Fred Kremhack, J.
]. Enright, J. J. MrHale, - Robins,
Cousaquo. Mike Meai. VIII Smith. George
Walton, jack Charles. Charles Guttcnhurg,
An employee OF tho Butte Hardware Com
pany; George G.. Galhraith, F. lward sloan.
fireman Dave Moss fireman John Fudge,
volunteer fireman Alexander W. Milan,
volunteer fireman Charles Bowman. volun-
teer fireman Samuel Ash. P-tar Sorling
James OLsarY. Miles Mcdonald. William
Pierce. Albert Goddard. George Halloway,
Dan Hickey, c. w. English. Charles Ashton,
". II. Nolan, Paul Hanson, Elnsr Green,
In, 7 ,yF,h
II was 9.55 y. m. when the Fire Depart
ment was oailed out 70 fight u flre In tho
Butte Hardware Compauys warehouse.
There WAS rumor that there was pow Ter
In the buildings. but this was denied when
the fremen reached the scene
At 1908, when the ircmen had barely
started to work, there was a terrific explo.
sion. The powder In tho warehouse had
blown up. Among the killed by tho explo-
sion were thre" OF the flremon. After the
hrst shock their comrades bravely returned
20 the work. while the few spectators, who
had not become panic stricken and run away,
assisted In removing tho 10 lies OF the killed
and injured fromthe proximity OF the flames.
Ten minutes later came n second eXplo-
sion, almost equal in volume TO the first,
spreading death among scores OF citizens.
Parts OF bodies were hurled hundreds OF
feet away. A man near the Northern Pa
cifc water tank narrowly escaped being
struck by the leg; and thigh OF human
being
Five minutes later there was n third OK
plosion, but IT was mild one and It Is be-
lieved that very few, Il any, were injured by
It.
The scene after the explosions resembled
q battlefield. Tho dead were strewn every
where, and the cries and Rroans OF the In
jured and dying were pititul TO hear. Mutt
lated bodies and limbs almost literally Gov
sred the space between the Northern Pacific
and the Great Northern depots, space OF
BOO feet. Houses in the vicinity were
wrecked as II by Cyclone.
One man of the rescuing corps gathered
.wenty-seven dead bodies 10 one place. Eight
were In another. Two and three were In
groups here and there.
Every vehicle In the city was brought into
service 10 carry away the SCORES OF dead and
the hun1re Is ot injured. The hospitals were
flled. The spare rooms IN the hotels were
taken, and private houses were thrown open
whore II was necessary.
After the flrst explosion many OF the
wounded were compelled by their helpless
ness TO Ito nenr the scene. ant the heat
greatly intensified their suff-rlnRs. They
begged 10 be taken away, but there was no
means OF conveying them from the scene at
that time. A hacknan drove and a;tempt-
ed to assist In the removal, tut while In the
act the second explosion took place and
killed him and his horses and many 81 the
wounded.
The sights In the undertaking establish
ments when morning dawned were heart
rend!ng. Here was half OF u head with a
nutiletei trunk below II; IN another place
an armless and leg!ess trunk. with the
face dis1yured beyoni oil possibility
OF recognition. Scarcely any Q. the
bodies were recognizable, and the
complete roll OF dead will probably never
be known. There nrn twelve dead at the
Butter undertaking rooms, ten Rt the
Montana and nineteen III the sherman.
Forty-three WOUNDED arc In the hospitals
and twenty eight OF them nre In n critical
condition.
Professor Robins, or Robinson, who Is
also known as 1.-TWO Bear" was famous
hunter and friend Of Theodore Roosevelt OF
New York. He had spent nil his lie Ia tho
mountains, and was making preparations 10
guide a party through practically unknown
portion otthe Yellowstone Park.
All flags in the city wero placed Rt half
mast. A relief meeting callod by the Mayor
was largely ntton led ani committees were
appointed for the collection Of money for
the reliet OF tho afflicted families.
The people are responding literally,
and sufficient amount TO relieve distress
is already guarantee
In addition % the loss Ot life. the destruo-
ton Of property 10 groat. The buildings
burned include tho warehouse o. the Butte
Hardware Company, Dachusl Drug
Company and the Kenyon-Connell Mer-
camille Company. tho electric light
works, old HchIitz brewing building,
and -four ami feed ware
house The contents were entirely de-
stroyeJ. Tne Northern Pacific freight depot
Was wrecked and SIX cars we're burned.
The fire is suppose TO have been OF in
cendiary origin, as there was no fire, 80 far
as known, about tho place.