The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-21
.BUTTE'S BLACK TRAGEDY
In The Awful Ruins More Human Bones
Were Found.
FUNERALS HELD YESTERDAY
The Horrible Disaster Continues to
Furnish a Sorrowfui story for
the People of the Sill
yer City.

Tuesday nights disaster. Dewey had
suffered from fractured pelvis
and other serious injuries and
little hope for him had been enter
tanned from the first, although he did not
believe his injuries would prove fatal.
Dewey was about % years of ege and un-
married, and has been in Butte five or six
months. during which time he has been
foreman of >cheffel;s cigar factory. He
was born in London, Ontario, where he
has two sisters living, his only known rel
atives. They had not been informed of
his injuries because he protested against
1t. Devoy's right name was George Henry
Sayle, but he assumed the name of his
foster father. His own father died when
he was child and his mother also died
when he was still a very small boy. At
the age of 16 he went to Balti-
more, and almost immedi ately upon
his arrival there was Shanghaied
and taken to sea and on a cruise throug
the Mediterranean. The captain of tn
ship took liking to the boy and favored
him in many ways and he remained at
sea for several years, and afterwards
made trip around the world, and then
returning to Ontario where he learned
that a legacy of $500 had been left him in
England to be paid him upon his arrival
at the age of 81. He never applied for it
and it is still unpaid. Both his parents
were born In England and it is said his
mother belonged to an eminent family.
few days ago he was urged to make a
settlement of his affairs but he refused to
believe that he was in a serious condi-
ton. This afternoon a telegram was sent
to his sister, Theresa Lewis, at London,
Ontario, announcing his death and ask
ing for instructions as to the disposition
of the body. 1t will probably be shipped.
oRR's ESCAPE.
William, better known as "Scotty" Orr,
one of the volunteer firemen, had prob
ably the most remarkable escape from
instant death of the many who had very
close calls on Tuesday night. He was
working with the flremen within 10 feet of
the building when the explosion occurred
and was blown IS yards away, had all his
lower teeth knocked down his throat, sus-
tanned a severe injury to his spine and
was covered with bad bruises. but he will
escape with his life. The doctors believe
that he was struck on the left cheek by
one of the flying rabble heads, which not
only tore out all his lower teeth but shat
tered his left jaw bone into splinters and
tore the inside of his mouth so terribly
cut away. His tongue was forced partly
down his throat and he has not yet fully
recovered the use of that valuable organ.
lie has recovered sufficiently to be able to
talk very slowly and rather indistinctly,
and STANDARD reporter had short in
terview with him at Murray & Freund's
hospital this afternoon.
Orr's version of the terrible affair tallies
exactly with the story told by Dave Magee,
the driver of the hose wagon, in Wednes-
day mornings STANDARD and there is no
doubt that these two very young fellows
have told things just exactly as they &C.
CURED. Orr states that just after the
hremen got to work on the building there
was a slight explosion from the force of
which the roof raised slightly and then
settled back into place. 1t is the suppo-
sition that this explosion was caused by a
small quantity of black powder. 1t did
no damage of any kind and the firemen
renewed their efforts to extinguish
the fire with increased energy.
A moment later the second
explosion came, scattering death and de-
struction on every hand. "The first ex-
plosion," said Orr this afternoon, ibid not
hurt any one and we went back to work
on the building. Jack Sloan secured an
axe and undertook to cut a hole in the
side of the building. Sam Ash and Dave
Moses were on the pipe close behind him,
so as to be ready to throw in a stream the
instant an opening could be made. There
is alw avs heavy pressure in South Butte
and it requires four or five men TO handle
line of hose. Ed Sloan and Deloughrey
we're close behind Moses and Ash and ]
was right behind Sloan, helping them to
ease up on the hose. We we're all close
together and / could not have been more
than II or 10 feet back from the building.
Chief Cameron was working around us
End just before the crash he stopped down
10 take some kinks out of the hose, as the
water was not coming strong enough. |
didn't see Fifer and Norling, but they
were at work with the ladders and we're
probably on top of the building or Just
climbing up. turned my back
TO the building to ease up on the
hose, and just then the crash came. When
/ came TO was lying close TO a shed near
the road and about rs or 80 yards from
where l was standing. A man was lying
right across me and l think he was dead,
as could not get a sound out of him.
staggered 10 my feet and looked around.
i could not see anything and / realized
that all of the firemen must have been
killed. My first thought was TO summon
assistance and l half staggered and half
walked 10 the Central station and man.
aged to tell the boys there what had hap
pened. Then my strength gave out andI
was taken TO the hospital"
KNEW THERE WAS POWDER THERE.
There does not now seem to be any
doubt that the fire started in the KENYON
Connell company's warehouse and that il
was there that the small explosion and
the first heavy one, which was the most
destructive of all, occurred. Fireman
Orr could not tell the name of the ware
house in which the fire started, but he de-
scribed il accurately as that of the Ken
company. A. ID. Christian
son. the Great Northern freight agent,
states positively that the fire broke out in
The kenyon-Connell warehouse and that
there was a trfling explosion, quickly fol- |
loved by the appalling crash which wiped !
g.rrs Tfrs.n IL,