The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-19
THE BUTTE HORROR.

The calamity at Butte last night is something
utterly appalling. and happily without a pre-
cedent in the history of Montana. Without
extended comment at this time 1t would appear
| that almost criminal responsibility rests upon
those who denied the presence of explosives in
| the building and so exposed the firemen to de
| struction. The conduct OF the members OF the
| hre department and many OF the spectators
| afforded brilliant EXAMPLES OF herosm. but the
| transcending reflection concerns the d porable
loss of hum life and the grief that has so sud
| denly fallen upon the families Of the Victims
| Helena Herald.
An awful responsibility rests upon some one
| whereby half hundred lives we're sacrificed in
| the twinkling of an eye at Butte last night.
| Property is of little account when contrasted
with such terrible loss OF life. Tue carelessn ess
| OF men and firms handling high explosives is
| becoming proverbial. IL the fatalities were con-
| fined TO those who. for gain, give occasion for
| such calamity as occurred in our sister city,
| the wives and children of the innocent men
| on duty woul not this morning be mourning
| and the community would be content.-Gredt
| Falls Leader.
In the frightful loss OF life which has plunged
the city OF Butte in sorrow. all Montana Joins i'm
| mourning. The details are so horrible, the sud-
| den wiping out of so many bright lives is so ap-
pdlllng, That sincere as is the mourning words
| fail TO express its profundi y. Words OF con-
| dolence In so great sorrow seem now but
empty sounds to those whose bitter wall of
| agony is uttered for fathers and brothers and
sons thus swiftly swept out of existence.-Btll-
| tngs Times.
The world has seldom been Mortified with
worse disaster than the fire and explosion at
| Butte. Some one who knew, and there must
| have been those who knew, should have told of
the danger there was in the stored powder
Possibly there was no one near TO give such a
warning But more than 80 Leople killed from
an explosion of powder at a fire proves there
was gross carelessness somewhere.-Sdlt Lake
Herald.
Among the list OF the seriously wounded at
Butte IS the name OF Con. ST. Clair. That an
nouncement is read with extreme sorrow in this
city, for Mr. st. Clair has hosts OF friends here
TO whom he is grea ly endeared because Of his
unse fish, generous nature. He lived here a
good While In some situa ION connected with the
Rio Grande Yves ern, and he lived a life de-
voted to the service OF his friends For in
stance, when Mr.. Greeson of this Office met
with the accident which caused the loss OF an
arm, the breaking Of a leg and other injuries so
severe q al his life was in jeopardy for many
days, 1t was the habit of MIR. ST. Clair, after
working all day. to go to Greeson's room In the
hospital and walt upon him and comfort him
through the night, only resting in such cat maps
as he could get when GTeeson slept. IL is pitt
full thing to know that such man as that was
injured, and the universal hope at this writing
is that he Will pull through and be all right. -
sat LdkC Tribune
lHt ltSsOu Vi Allt dWlul ulsdsttT IN BUTTE is SO
plain tina he who runs may read. Dangerous
explosives should not be stored in any quantity
within the limits OF any city. Pending an Off
cia inquiry into the calamity that has befallen
our sister city, blame should be attached to no.
body But 1t is pla n that there has been terri
bic negligence somewhere Helena IndeDen-
dent
The horrible and appalling disaster which be-
fell the citizens of Butte on Tusday night viii
take rank IN history as ons OF the most fright
ful accidents, If su h II may be termed, of this
age. To the loyal hremen and others who met
death In that awful explosion, let I @ benedic-
ton of all living be bestowed. As TO those who
may be respons bic for the terrible fate OF so
many of Butte's citizens, no action is as yet
taken, but someone most surely responsible
for the storage Of giant pow Ter in pace not
properly provided for its keeping. and for this
breach Of the law some 80 or more persons have
persisted and others lay manged and bleeding
with broken limbs and torn flesh. To the sur
yving relatives and friends of the unfortunate
victims all Montana joins with expressions of
grief and sympathy -PhifpSburg Mail
Piufu. Piuful! Dead. wounded and diving.
The horrors Of war In time of peace. Sorrow
broods where JOY reigned. Tears and lamenta-
tons in lieu OF laughter and song. The black
ness Of desolation. Grief and woe. Lusty men
crushed. m ,ngled, bruised and blackened. Eyes
closed forev r. Butte mourns and Montana
mourns with her. The destruction OF property
was large but it amounts to no hing when COM
pared with the loss OF life. the manning and
managing OF men in the discharge OF their duty
and spectators drawn through curiosity TO the
fire with its resultant disaster. Such a caiamity
the state has never known and may il never
know another like it.-MissOu Democrat
The tragic deaths OF the officers and men,
beers OF the Butte fire department in the line OF
their duty carries with II significant lesson. Ii
i illustrative in the highest degree OF the
danger thai ever attends The hazardous life of
EWnWN a
men were of the right stripe. For years the
very name OF tirema n has been synonymous of
courage This was the case in the DAYS OF the
old undisciplined volunteers and il has been in
tenSthsd by the conduct OF the well drilled self
possessed, regular paid department The
latter hght fires with perfect STEM but no
occasion ever arises call ne for a play OF
reckless daring that the modern fireman is not |
equal 10 IL. Noday passes but In some city his |
courage j. put 10 the test, and too often he is a
rescuer 1t the expense OF his own life IL was |
not given TO the Butte ieroeS TO sell their lives
that others might live. They faced and met
their awful fate in striving to do their simple |
duty. They fell AT their posts, and in these |
days when men so often Shirk duty il is high |
pra Sc 10 record this OF them. Small band that |
they were when they rushed To attack the seeth- |
ing flames In the monster building, they must |
have felt that II was an unequal contest at the /
best. luz Tat did not deter them. They were |
nrcmcn and II was their business 10 do and |
dare. No one az the party could have thought |
Of the cruel powder piled high In deadly boxes,
hidden from their view. but so soon To make its |
trrribl" pow felt. Had they known this they |
might well have hc>itated Tor the advance was |
suicide. yet In they went and their m nCled |
bodies. deSoate hearthstoneS and A stricken /
community is the -ut. let their epitaph be- |
written: lie died in the DISCHARGE OF his |
duty" and let the community for which the
sacrifice wIs made ever keep the deed in CRATE
ful remembrance Grtdt Fails Tribune.