The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-16

BUTTE, Jan 15.-The most terrible
calamity in the history of Montana oc-
Cured this evening in this city, filling
hundreds of homes with woe and placing
the entire city in mourning. Tho extent
of the awful catastrophe cannot be told to.
night and the full force of the horror will
not be realized for many days.
At midnight, tonight, with the awful
tragedy of two hours ago. appearing like
n horrible dream, men and women,
parents and children, husbands, relatives
and friends are running from one under
taking room to another, and from one
hospital to another, in the dread fear of
finding some loved one who is missing.
With the fearful list of dead, the chief
horror is that comparatively few have
been identified and many bodies are so
mutilated that they will never be recog-
nized.
Some bodies are undoubtedly con-
sumed in the flames. for at this hour the
sickening smell of burning flesh arises
from the ruins.
CALLED TO DEATH.
1t was at 9:55 o'clock th At the q uet city
was slightly stirred by an alarm of fire
which called the city fire department to a
little fire near the warehouses between
the city proper and South Butte, not far
from the Montana Central depot. The
fire did not promise to be an extensive
one. Probably 200 people had gathered
there to watch the fire when the fire de-
partment arrived and proceeded at once
to the work of extinguishng the fire.
LIKE THE CRACK OF DOOM.
1t was 10:05 o'clock, suddenly a deafen-
ing explosion occurred, which made every
building within five miles tremble and
which shook the city of Butte to its foun-
dations.
From Walkerville to South Butte and
from Meaderville to Rocker a frighted
people rushed from their houses, from
stores, from saloons, from hotels, to see a
volcano of fire extending hundreds of feet
into the air.
Except to those near by there was no
further horror, save the dread conjecture
of what had exploded, how many might
be injured in that fearful second of time
and how many killed.
Windows all over Butte were shattered.
Many plate glass fronts on Main street
and Broadway we're demolished and clear
up on the Anaconda hill even the windows
of the Office were broken. People several
blocks away from the explosion were
thrown to the ground.
THE AWFUL HORROR.
IF fho axnIosiop o,,.oI . Iro.l .,I
terror to the people miles away anu safe
in their homes, who shall describe the
endless horrors of the scene at the explo-
sion? How many indeed are there Ieft
10 tell the awful tale?
1t is believed that in the FIRST explosion,
which was the heaviest, only the fremen
were killed. Spectators of the fight with
the fire were thrown TO the ground and
temporarily stunned, but it is not be-
lieved many, if any citizens. we're killed |
in the first explosion.
HEROES RUSHED ~.
But there were heroes in the little CON-
pany which had witnessed most closely /
the first horror, and as soon as the shock 1
was over, while some ran in terror, others /
Immediately began pulling the mutilated 4
bodies OF the tIremeu and the in niured I
from the proximity Of the flames.
From all over the ci.y the people began {.
moving toward the fire and the crowd I
lad greatly increased within five min
utes.
-lL SECOND EXPLOSION.
Just about thai length oi me after the .