The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-17

town hesitated. There had been two ex-
We're rumors Of carloads of powder in the
vicinity besides that storted in the ware
houses. Five minutes later a third explo-
sion did come. but it was a mild one. ana
it is believed that very few If any We're
The explosions had all occurred in a fif-
teen minutes-the most horrible quarter
OF an hour in the States history. The hor7
a field OF battle more than anything else.
The dead were strewn everywhere and the
cries and groans of the injured and dying
presented a pitiful scene. Blood and brains
were spattered about. Here were legs and
arms; and scattered around were pieces of
Hesh and entrails. 1T was sickening. Be-
tween the Northern Pacific and the Great
feet, the ground was literally covered with
parts of human beings and with the dead
destruction. The houses in the vicinity were
as thoroughly wrecked as IL a tornado had
passed through them. One member of the
rescuing corps gathered twenty-seven dead
bodies In one pile. Eight were In another.
Two and three were In groups here and
bodies still quivering. remnants of human
Beings still groaning. Where legs and
trunks quivered and died in the arms of
the living.
vigor. Every vehicle in the city was
brought into service to carry away the
scores Of dead and the hundreds of in
spare rooms in the hotels were taken and
private houses were thrown open where it
Sam Ash. Ed Sloane. Dave Moores, Dave
Masee was the driver and remained with
the wagon about forty yards away. while
and ladder was manned by George FIfer
and Pete Nolan, OF the regular paid de-
pelanseers. ae Gh,e wil camero orr d Hns cd the
attack on the building, and while some OF
the iircmen hauled a line Of hose, the others
\ 4 IN ~ fA0r nf n i1n1 CG
or the building so that they could get at
the flames; Just as they had succeeded in
came. A blinding sheet Of fame forced the
dred feet into the air, followed by a sec
ond of deadly silence. and then came the
those who surrounded the death trap and
destruction ON every hand.
pected the presence of powder in the ware
houses, and. as is customary when a fire
Is raging in Butte, people were crowded
they could get. When the first great ex-
plosion took place bodies were thrown for
hundreds of yards in all directions. Some
TO a. pulp, while flying debris literally
knocked. the heads from others. One body.
1t Is reported, was seen flying through the
air at a height of 200 or 300 yards. Many
of the wounded were a pitiable sight. After
the nrst explosion occurred many of the
wounded were compelled by their helpless
ness to lie near the fire. and the heat only
intenSif1ed the pain they were suffering.
They begged to be taken away, but there
was no means of conveying them from the
scene at that time. A hackman, seeing the
terrible state of affairs, drove up and at
tempted to assist in the removal, but while
IN the act the second explosion took place
and killed him and his horses and many of
the wounded. Hours after the explosion
the fire was still burning and the stencil
of consuming bodies was horrible.
Never before have such exciting scenes
been witnessed in Montana. The people
or Suite have not thought of rest: The
gone to bed. and when the horror of the
situation. fastened itself upon them they
gave their whole strength and means about
them in aid of the wounded and in caring
for the bodies of the dead. Vehicles of
every description were pressed into service,
were taken to hospitals, the city hall. drug
stores, public buildings, doctors offices and
residences.
investigation but adds to the horror of the
accident. The brilliant glare of the skies
from the flames of the burning buildings
by the Ieaden gray gray Of fn the day oe thus Suoe ewing
to the. awful scene a fitting canopy. Never
did a landscape bear more impressively the
ing. force Of powder than the gloomy. blood
stained wreck which appeared in the first
faint light of the morning. Nearly all of
the dead bodies of the men have been re-
covered, but the heaps OF debris,
the charred remains of buildings, warped
and shattered fire engines and mangled
bodies OF dead horses, are still reminders
Of the work of the fateful night. In addi-
ton to the sickening slaughter of human
beings the Destruction of property is great.
well fitted warehouses nothing remains but
blackened ruins. and the streets of the city
sparkle and glisten with broken glass.
sieged city In days of war than that of a
business center OF commerce in. times of
of incendiary origin, as there was no fire
so far as known about the place.