The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-01-22
MOVED DOWN LIKE GRASS.
HURLED INTO ETERNIrY WITH
OUT WARMING.


Tho Most Awful Calamity i'm the His
tory OF nIontana-A Powder IGXpIo-
sion Strcws the Dead Around like
on a Battle Eiefd.
BUTTE, MONT, Jan. 15.-During a
fire at the Montana Central Railway
yards this evening several cars Of pow
der caught fire and exploded with tre-
mendous force, killing a number of
ircmcn and spectators and manning
many others. Several men are known
to have been killed outright. There
were three separate explosions, the
first two breaking nearly evory win
dow within raGius Of two miles.
Owing to tho excitement the extent
OF tho casualties cannot be ascortained.
The fire attracted large crowd and
hundreds were standing near whom the
first explosion occurred. Men and
women were moved down like grass
before q sickle but many arc only
stunned by the force of the explosion.
Debris from cars and adjoining build
ing werc scattered high in the air for
half a mile away, many Of the lying
articles striking people in tho crowd.
Every ambulance vchicle and doctor in
town was coon on the scene carrying
off the dead aud wounded. Tho ground
was strewn like u field Of battle with
tho injured and dead.
Owing to the fact that there wero
still several cars OF powder on the
track and tho report that QUO OF the
burning warehouses also contained u
quantity of powder, few, after the first
explosion, dared to venture assistance
to the injured. When they did they
were met by the second explosion, like
n raking fire from an army. The Sec
ond was soon followed by the third, and
the heavens were lighted with flame.
The reports were heard aad tho shock
felt for miles. J
After the third explosion the hos
pital corps and the police began the
work Of picking up the dead and car
ing for the wounded. Fifteen dead
bodies were piled together, many Of
them being mangled TO such au3extent
citement. Every house in the vicinity
was turned into q hospital. Tho scene
after the explosion was beyond all de-
scription. Men and women wrung
their hands and cried in agony 1t is
said that every fireman was either
killed or fatally wounded.
BUTTE MONT, Jan. 16.-The fire
was either in the store of Kenyon Con-
nell or tho Buttc Hardware COmpany's
warehouso, anG both contained pow
der. There was q rumor UiIo. there
was powder in the buildings, and this
reached the ears of the firemen as soon
rs they arrived on the scene, but it was
denied and after a moments hesitation
they began fighting fire. AT lO0S the
mon had barely started to work when
there was an explosion which shook
Butte to its very foundations. The
powder In the warehouse blew up,
spreading death and ruin to all who
were near. All but three of the fire.
men were killed. 1t is believed that in
the first explosion only three fremcn
were killed.
There wero heroes among the spec
tatCrs, however, and as soon rs the
stun of the shock passed away, while
began pulling the mutilatcd bodies of
the firemen and the injured from tho
proximity of the flames. From all
over the city people began moving to-
ward tho fire and the crowd had greatly
increased within five minutes.
Just about that length of time aftor
the first explosion u second explosion
almost equal in volume TO the first
heightened the terror all over the city
and spread death and desolatiOn 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 q human being, driven by the
force of dynamite from the fearful
scene. There were still heroes left to
help pull the shricking wounded and
the groaning dying to a distance, but
the people up town hesitated. There
had been two explosions and there
might be more. There were rumors
fof carloads OF powder in tho vicinrSy,
besides that stored in tho warehouses.
Five minutes later third explosion
did come, but 1t was q mild one, and it
was believed that very few IL any were
injured by it. The disaster had all oc-
CURED in fifteen minutes, the most
horrible in tho Stato's history.
The terrible scene after the oXplo-
sion resombled O field of battle more
than anything else. The dead were
strewn everywhere and the cries and
groans Of the ia jurcd and dying .nre.
sented a scene altogether unearthly.
Blood and brains were spattered about.
Here were logs and arms, scattered
around were pieces Of flesh ard en-
trails. 1t was sickening. Between
the Northern Pacific and the Great
Northern uGp0tS, space or 3OU feot,
the ground was literally covered with
parts of human beings and with the
dead aud injured The scene was one
of utter and absolute destruction. The
houses in the vicinity were as thor
oughly wrecked rs Ii cyclone had
passed through them.
One OF the rescuing corps gathered
81 dead bodies in one pile. 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 and
arms had been torn Off. Shapeless
quivercd and died In the arms
of the living.
The work OF rescue was prosecuted
In earnest. Every vi 1icle in the city
was brought into SER Se to carry away
tho scores of dead and the hundreds OF
injured. The hospitals were filled.
The spare rooms In the hotels were
= taken and private houses were thrown
open where iAAyas necessary.
The hose INeon crow, Chief Camor.
on. Assistant Charles Sloan, sam Ash,
Ed. Sloan, Dave Nose, Davc Magee
and Jack FlaDnery, are all dead. Ma
gee was the driver and remained with
the wagon about forty yaiyis away
while Elanncry was at tho hydrant.
The hook and ladder was manned by
a = faa