Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-01-17
SCORES OF BODIES BLOWN TO PIECES


Work When FrlEhtful Explosions DO
curred--A Hundred Lives Lost-Huinan
Beings Literally Blown to Pieoes--
Awful Scenes of Carnage Attend the Re-
movnl of Bodies OF the Victims.
Associated Prsis ossnttjn oY Special Wires
BUTTE, MoST., Jan. 16.-At $3.50
O'Clock last night the fire department
responded to call from box ~, and 1t
proved the call Of death 10 nearly the
entire department. The ire was either
in the store OF Kenyon Council or the
Butte Hardware Co. warehouse, and
both contained powder. There was
rumor that there was powder in the
buildings and this reached the ears of
the fremen as soon as they reached the
scene, but 1t was denied, and after
moments hesitation they began fighting
the fire.
AT 1908 the men had barely started
to work when there was an explosion
which shook Butte to its very founda-
ton. The powder in the warehouse
blew up,
SPREADING DEATH AND RUIN
to all who were near. All but three of
the firemen were killed.
There were heroes among the specta.
tors, however, and as soon as the stun
of the shock passed away, while some
ran in terror, others Immediately began
pulling
THE MUTrLATED BODIES
of the firemen and injured from the
proximity of the danes. From all over
the city people began moving toward
the fire and the crowd had greatly in
creased within five minutes.
just about that length of time after
the first explosion, second explosion,
almost equal in volume to the first,
heightened the terror all over the city
and
SPREAD DEATH AND DEsoLATloN
among scores of citizens Parts of
bodies were hurled hundreds of feet
away. a man near the Northern
Pacific water tank was almost struck
by the leg and thigh of human being,
driven by the force of dynamite from
the fearful scene. There were still
heroes left to help pull out the shrek.
ing, wounded and groaning victims.
There had been two explosions and
there might be more. There were
rumors of carloads Of powder in the
vicinity, besides that stored in the ware.
house.
THIRD EXPLOSION.
Five minutes later, third explosion
did come but it was mild one and it is
believed that very few if any were in
jured by it. The disaster had all oc.
Cured in 10 minutes, the most horrible
quarter of an hour in Butte's history.
The scene after the explosion resembled
field OF battle more than anything else.
THE DEAD WERE sTREwN
everywhere, and the cries and groans of
the injured and dying added terror to
scene altogether unearthly. Blood and
brains were scattered about. Here were
legs and arms, pieces of flesh and en-
trails. 1t was sickening.
Between the Northern Pacific and the
Great Northern depots, space of 800
feet, the ground was literally covered
with
PARTS OF HUMAN BEINGS
and with the dead and injured. The
scene was one of utter and desolate de-
struction. Houses in the vicinity were
badly wrecked as if cyclone had
struck them. One of the rescuing corps
gathered 81 dead bodies in one place.
Eight were in another. Two and three
were in groups here and there. The
rescuers pulled some of the bodies out
still quiverIng, the remnants of the
human beings still groaning, while legs
aud arms had been torn off. Shapeless
trunks quivered and died in the arms of
the living.
The work Of rescue was prosecuted in
earnest Every vehicle in the city was
brought into service to carry away the
scores Of dead and the hundreds of in.
jured. The ~....
HOSPITALS WERE FILLED.
The spare rooms in the hotels were
taken and private houses were thrown
open where it was necessary.
The hose wagon crew, Chief Cameron,
Assistant Chief Sloan, Sam Ash, Ed.
Sloan, Dave Moses, Dave Magee and
Jack Flannery, are all supposed to have
lost their lives.
Magee was the driver and remained
with the wagon about 40 yards away,
while Flannery was at the hydrant. The
hook and ladder was manned by George
Fifer and Pete Nolan of the regular de-
partment and William Orr, volunteer.
| Chief Cameron directed the work on the
building and while some of the tiremen
hauled line of hose along, the others
started to tear off the iron covering Of
the building so that they could get at
the flames. Just as they had succeeded
in tearing off part of the covering and
secured an entrance, the first explosion
came.
A BLENDING SHEET OF FLAME
forced the roof of its fastenings and
shot hundred feet into the air. This
was followed by second of deadly
silence, and then came the awful roar,
carrying with it humiliation to those
who closely surrounded the death trap
and destruction on every hand.
1t is impossible to obtain anything
like complete list of dead at this writ
ing. The loss Of lite is variously esti-
mated at from so to 70, and the wounded
will probably EXCEED $50.
The sights in the undertaking estab-
lishments this morning are something
awful. All are crowded
WITH HEAPS OF HUMAN FLESH.
Here was half head and mutiated
trunk below it; in another place au
arm!ess and legless trunk with the face
distigured beyond all possibility of
recognition. Scarcely any of the
corpses were recognizable and the com
plete roll Of deal will probably never
be known. There are 12 dead at the
Butte undertaking rooms, 10 at the
Montana, and 10 at the Sherman. Forty
three wounded are in the hospitals, 2S
of them in a critical condition.
SOME OF THE VICTIMS.
No attempt will be made to complete
| the identification of the dead until the
| ininrnd nrn oil nnrnl for INN dnnl