The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-01-25
MANY LIVES. LOST
QUITE, MONT, THE SCENE OF Al,
AWFUL ACCIDENT. =
DurinE . Fire In u wareho.s, q.
Explosion 0f 0iant Powder Ocours
NlAinE . Number OF People-Whils
Efforts Are Beiny Made to Remove
tine Dead . Second Explosion Oc.
ours. Which Completely Wipes o.,
the Fire Department

A., W, San. LA nre occurred In
the Butte Hardware company's ware.
house last night in which giant now.
DER was stored. The fire department
We're at work on the fire when The ex.
p!osion took place, killing a number
OF people. While efforts were heinz
made to remove the dead and woun.
aed second explosion occurred. The
entire hre department was wiped ont.
including the chief and all the horses
Inree policemen were among the
killed, who number at least seventy.
nve. Plate glass was broken nil over
!he city, and the damage to property
10 enormous. The relatives of the
Killed are frantic and the city IA IN
CONSERVATION. The powder IN the
warehouse was In violation of law.
II was the greatest explosion In the
history Of the West.
Another Account,
Denver, Jun. ia spccial 4, tho
ROCKY Mountain News from Butte
says: The fire broke out In the Mon.
taha Central yards, and soon several
cars loaded with powder caught fire.
just as the firemen were closing
around the blazing cars an explosion
occurred, killing number of fircnen
ana spectators and manning MANY
others The flremen who had ca.
capped Immediately rallied and were
beginning another attack when a sec.
Ond explosion, more violent than the
INST, took place. The people In the
vicinity were moved down as with a
great scythe, and the streets for half
q block around looked like a creat
Dattleiield. Debris was thrown high
III the air. coming down a half mile
away. Many people ON the streets In
the center Of the city were thus in.
Jured. A few Of the remaining fire.
men were gathered together and while
attempting to escape to a place of
SAFETY, the third and last explosion oc.
cured. This. too. killed and injured
many people. There were several
cars OF powder and all of them ex.
ploded. The whole heavens were
lighted up ard the city shook as II
an earthquake was in progress. I'm.
mediltely after the first explosion the
entire hospital corps and police force
were summoned.
Terrific Explosions.
Denver, Jan. ia special to the
Republican from Butte says: The fire
started in the Royal Milling com.
pany's warehouse and spread to the
kenyon. Cornell company warehouse.
In which was stored car loads of giant
powder. The first explosion was the
most terrific and killed every fireman
save two belonging to the central sta.
tion. One of these was standing be.
mind the hose horses and the other was
at water hydrant several hundred
feet away. So far between fifty and
sixty mangled bodies have been re.
covered. and more are being picked up
on all sides. 1t is impossible to get
names at present. 1t is estimated
that about 100 additional persons are
injured. several Of whom died after
being taken to the hospitals. The
scene beggars description. Wagons are
still taking dead bodies from the
wounded to their homes and hospitals.
The latter are all full. The list of
dead will possibly reach seventy five;
andt he damage to property will be
more than n million dollars. In all
three car loads of powder exploded.
one Of which was exploded in the
Butte Hardware company's ware
house. which adjoined the Kenyon
Cornell warehouse. Large pieces of
iron were thrown for miles. Several
bodies were hurled a long distance
and picked up In unrecognizeablt
masses Of flesh.