Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-01-16
A HUNDRED SPECTATORS INJURED.
A Great Crowd Was Watching the Prog ress Of the Flames In a Railroad Yard When Three Terrific Explosions Occur red-VictimS Mostly Bremen and Police.

A Great Crowd Was Watching the Prog ress of the Flames In Railroad Yard When Three Terrific Explosions Occur
 BUTTE Mon. Jan. l6.-A fire occurred in the Butte Hardware company's ware house, in which giant powder was stored. Tho fire department was at work on the fire when an explosion took place, killing a number of people.
 While efftSts were being made to remove the dead and wounded a second explosion occurred The entire department was wiped out. including the chief and all the horses Three policemen were among the killed, who number at least 75.
 Plate glass was broken all over the city, and the damage to property is enormous.
 All the ambulances are rushing to and fro from the scene of the explosion. The relatives of the killed are frantic, and the city is in consternation.
 The powder was stored in the warehouse in violation of law. It was the greatest explosion in the history of the west.
 The fire broke out in the Montana Cen tral yards. and soon several cars loaded with powder caught fire. Just as the fire men were closing around the blazing cars an explosion occurred, killing a number
 
 several others
 Tho firemen vino had escaped imInedi. ately rallied and were beginning another attack when secpnd explosion, more vii olent than tho first took place.
 The people in the>yicinity were moved down as with a great scytbe, and tha streets for hal block around looked like 8 great battlefield.
 Scene Looked Like a Battlefield.
 Debris from cars and adjoining build ings was scattered high in the air for half a mile away, many of the flying articles striking people in the crowd
 Every ambulance, vehicle and doctor in town was soon on the scene. carrying off the dead and wounded. The ground was strewn like field of battle with the in jured and dead
 Owing to the fact that there were still several cars of powder on the track and the report that one of the burning warehouses lso.contained a quantity of powder, few dared after the first explosion to venture to the assistance of tho injured
 When they did. they were met by the second explosion like raking fire from an army The second was soon followed by the third. and the heavens were lighted with flame. The reports were heard and the shock felt for miles.
 Alter the third explosion the hospital corps and the police began the work of picking up the dead and caring for the wounded. Fifteen dead bodies were piled together many of them being mangled to such an extent that they were not identi- fled in the excitement. Every house in the vicinity was turned into hospital.
 The scene after the explosion was be- yond all description. Men and women wrung their hands and cried in agony. It is said that every fireman was either killed or fatally wounded
 Another account says that the fire start ed in the Royal Milling company's ware house and spread to the Kenyon Cornell warehouse in which was stored some car loads of giant powder. The first explosion was the most terrific and killed every fire man save two belonging to the Central station.
 One of these was standing behind the hose cart horses. and the other was at a water hydrant several hundred feet away. So far between 50 and 60 mangled bodies have been recovered. and more are being picked up on all sides
 It is estimated about 100 additional per sons were injured, several of whom died after being taken to the hospitals