The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-17
DISASTROUS EXPLOSION.
SEVENTY. FIVE PEOPLE KILLED
AND $1,000 900 DAMAGE DONE.
Three Successive Explosions of Giant
Powder Plays Havoc In the Mining
Town of Butte, Mont.

BUTTE, MONT, Jan. 1s.-When the
smoke caused by successive explosions
of giant powder at hardware ware
house last night had cleared away, the
sight which presented itself 10 the sur
yiyors was sickening in the extreme. The
ground for a block around the scene OF
the accident was strewn with the CULVER
ing flesh OF dismembercd men and horses
pinned down by fragments OF fire engines
ana burning STands from demolished
Uarehoues The warehouse was literally
blown 10 pieces. and a hole seyenty-hye
feet desD excayated In the ground by the
force OF the explosion. 1t is feared that
some of the bodies were thrown into
this chasm by the force OF me explosion,
and that they have been cremated. OS-
ing TO the nature OF the lire and its dan
serous locality, the entire lire force wds
called out 10 prevent the spread OF the
flames TO tbs adjoining buildings. Three
Policemen mad been detailed to keep the
crowd back. and they were also Killed.
Many of the spectators were Instantly
Killed. and several hurled back some dis
lance from the scene OF the fire, and rem
dered unconscious by the force of the
shock. Numerous persons living in dis
tant parts of the city have lost their
power of hearing and speech from the
iCice of the shock.
sEyESTY-FIyE PERSONS KILLED.
The list OF the dead will probably reach
seyenty-five. and the damage done TO
rroperty will be more thdn 81, 10000. In
all three carloads of powder exploded.
At O'Clock this morning forty-three
dead bodies had been found and removed
to the morgue. Many of them were so
shockingly burned and mutilated as 10
be totally unacceptable. A small boy,
name not known, about ten years vi
age. was found dead i'm the street,
block and a half from the scene of the
explosion. one woman was killed In
her house, a half block away, by an
anvil thrown through the roof. Human
heads, legs and arms were scattered Tor
several blocks from the scene or the
greatest OF the three explosions. It Is
believed a complete list OF the dead can
not be secured for several days.
The first explosion was caused by nitro
gIycerine stored i'm the private warehouse
OF the Kenyon-COnnel Commercial Com
pany. which was burned. The second
one came from a carload OF powder on the
railroad track. and the third from the
warehouse OF the Butte Hardware Com
pany which adjoined that of the Ken
yon-Connell Company.
FATAL EXPLOSION AT HOMESTEAD.
PITTSBITRG PA. Jan. 16.-At o'clock
this morning two boilers In the thirty
inch mill at the Carnegie steel Works,
at Homestead, exploded. Henry Brenne-
man and John Cerka were instantly Kill
ed. John Beraak was fatally injured, and
William Banks seriously hurt. The ex-
plosion Is said TO have been caused by
muddy water getting into the boilers.
The loss is about $500.
THE DEAD NUMBER FORTY, EVEN.
At 10 o'clock this forenoon the known
number of dead was forty-seven. This
list will undoubtedly be Increased when
the debris OF the explosion Is removed
as II is almost certain that bodies are
hidden I'm the ruins Of the debris or the
dead thus far recovered, twenty-siN nave
been identified, either wholly or partially
In some cases the identification mas DeeH
by articles of clothing or Jewelry' the
bodies being defaced and biackened so as
TO render personal identification impossi-
BILE. 1t IS not impossible that III some
cases mistakes have been made, but In
general there is little doubt as to the
identity of the bodies. Some OF the bodies
or horizons of bodies will never be iden-
tilted. because of the frlghtful managing
they have undergone. Headless trunks
without vestige OF clothing adheflng 10
them. dismembered limbs and pieces OF
flesh. are. in some cases, all that Is left.
TIE VICTIMS NOT IDENTIFIED.
The dead are now distributed among
the various undertaking establishments.
hut some time to-day or tomorrow All
viii be collected In one place. 50 that
identification may be facilitated. No ar
rangements have been made for the tuner-
al. but il viii be a public affair, ana
union services will be held by the clergy
men of all denominations The families
Of the fremen and policemen, who died
I'm the performance OF their duty, WIN De
taken care of by the city. Public sub
scriptions will be started for the relief
Of others.
There is the greatest possible indigna-
tion over the storage of nitrO-glycerlne,
giant Dowder and rack a-rock In the
heart of the city, which Is responsible Tor
last nights horror An investigation VIII
he instituted to discover who is respon-
sible. and if it Is found that any public
officials are to blame for the violation
of the city ordinances they will find THIS
climate too warm for them On the
other hand, If the mercantile frns VINO
owned the explosives are found TO nave
violated the law deliberately they VIII
suffer financially and otherwise. The
people are thoroughly aroused over the
catastrophe, and viii make some che
answer for 1t.
THIRTY TONS OF EXPLOSIVES.
From all that can be learned, the total
amount OF explosives that went up I'm
the three explosions was nearly thirty
tons-enough to wipe out the state OF
Rhode Island. There were twenty tons
of giant powder alone that went up IN