The morning call., 1895-01-16
BLOWN TO ATOMS.
Fearful Explosion in a
Warehouse.
TONS OF POWDER IGNITED.
SeVenty-FiVe Persons Met an
Awful Death.
FIRE DEPARTMENT WIPED OUT
Butte, Mont, the Scene of a Great
Catastrophe.
THERE WERE THREE TERRIBLE SHOCKS.
More Than a Hundred Persons Nan.
gled and the Loss to the City
Over a Million Dollars.

BUTTE, Mont, Jan. ia fire occurred in
the Butte Hardware Company's ware
house tonight, in which giant powder
was stored. The Fire Department was at
work on the fire when an explosion took
place, killing many in the vicinity.
While efforts were being made to remove
the dead and wounded, a second explosion
occurred. The entire Fire Department
was wiped out, including the chief and all
the horses. Three policemen were among
the killed, who numbered at least seventy
five.
Plate glass was broken all over the city
and the damage to property is enormous.
1t is impossible to get details at present.
All the ambulances are rushing to and
from the scene of the explosion. The rela-
tives of the killed are frantic and the city
is in CONSERVATION.
The powder in the warehouse was
In violation OF the law. 1t was the great
est explosion in the history of the West.
DENVER, Jan. 16.-A special to tho Re-
publican from Butte says: The fire started
in the Royal Milling Company's ware
house and spread to the Kenyon-Cornell
warehouse, in which were stored several
carloads OF giant powder.
The first explosion was the most terrific,
and killed every fireman, save two, belong
ing at the Central fire. station. One of
these was standing behind the hoseeart
horses and the other was at water
hydrant, several hundred feet away.
So far between fifty and sixty mangled
bodies have been recovered and more are
being picked up on all sides. 1t is impos-
sible to get the names tonight.
1t is estimated that about 100 additional
persons were injured, several of whom
died after being taken to the hospitals.
The scene is beyond description at this
hour, 12:10A. NJ.
Wagons are still taking dead bodies from
the scene of the explosion to various I'M
dertaking establishments, and the wounded
to their homes and hospitals.
The latter are all full. The list of dead
will possibly reach seventy-fve, and the
damage to property will be more than
$1,0000O0.
In all three carloads of powder exploded,
one of which was stored in the Butte
Hardware Company's warehouse, which
adjoined the Kenyon-Cornell warehouse.
Several bodies were hurled a long distance
and picked up in unacceptable masses of
flesh.
A special to the Rocky Mountain News
from Butte says: The fire broke out in the
Montana Central yards and soon several
cars loaded with powder caught fire.
Just as the fremen were closing in
around the blazing cars an explosion &C.
Cured, killing number of firemen and
spectators and manning many others.
The fremen who had escaped immedi-
ately rallied and were beginning another
attack when a second explosion, more
violent than the first, took place.
The people in the vicinity were thrown
down as with great scythe and the streets
for half block around looked like great
battlefield.
Debris was thrown high in the air, COM
ing down half mile away. Many people
on the streets in the center of the city were
thus injured.
The few remaining firemen were gath
ering themselves together and attempting
to escape to place of safety when the
third and last explosion occurred. This,
too, killed and injured many people.
There were several cars of the powder
and all of them exploded. The whole
heavens were lit up and the city shook as
if an earthquake was in progress.
Immediately after the first explosion the
ntire hospital corps and police force were
summoned and many of the attaches of
these departments are among those killed
and injured in the subsequent explosions.
Fifty dead bodies have already been
gathered together and there doubtless are
a great many more in parts of the yard
that no one dares to approach.
Every house for blocks around is turned
into an impromptu hospital. Every mem
Der of the the fire department was either
killed or wounded.
Among the spectators who were killed
was Joseph Miller, prominent attorney
of Boise City.