Frederick citizen., 1895-01-18
killed and MANCLED
Men and Women Moved
Down Like Grass.
Cars at Butte, Mont, Containing
Powder Explode with Terrific
Force During Fire The Ground
Strewn with the Injured and Dead
Like Field of Eattle.

Butte, Mont, Jan. 16.-During a fire
at the Montana Central yards last
evening several cars of powder caught
fire and exploded with tremendous
force, killing a number of firemen and
spectators and manning many others.
Several men are known to have been
killed outright. There were three sep
arate explosions, the first two break
ing nearly every window within a
radius of two miles Owing to the ex-
citement the extent of the casualties
cannot be ascertained. The fire at
tracted a large crowd and hundreds
We're standing near when the first ex-
ploSion occurred.
Men and women were moved down
like grass before sickle but many
Were stunned by the force of the ter
rife explosion. Debris from cars and
adjoining buildings were scattered
high in the air for half a mile away,
many of the flying articles striking
people in the crowd. Every ambulance,
vehicle and doctor in town was soon
on the scene carrying off the dead and
wounded. The ground was strewn like
field of battle with the injured and
dead. Owing to the fact that there
were still several cars of powder on
the track and the report that one of
the burning warehouses also contained
quantity Of powder, few dared after
the first explosion to venture to the
assistance of the injured.
When they did they were met by
the second explosion like a racking
fire from an army. The second was
soon followed by the third and the
heavens were lighted with flames. The
reports We're heard and the shock felt
for miles. After the third explosion
the hospital corps and the police be-
gan the work of picking up the dead
and caring for the wounded. Fifteen
dead bodies were piled together and
many of them beng mangled to such
an extent that thfy were not identified
in the excitement Every house in the
vicinity was turned into a hospital
The scene after the explosion was be
yond all description. Men and women
wrung their hands and cried in agony
1t is said that every fireman was either
killed or fatally wounded.
At midnight it is known that be-
tween forty and fifty persons weyc
killed outright by the explosion. The
'SN'ANS VI lI-g bVt-i tlt GIIIDiy Ildil-
gled, many of tAem being blown 10
atoms.
The fire originated In the Royal
Milling company's warehouse and
spread to the Kenyon & Connell com
pany's building and from there to the
Butte Hardware company
The city has been In the widest
confusion since the great calamity and
it is impossible to secure the names
of those who have lost their lives.
The explosion Is known to have killed
three policemen, and the chief of the
fire department.
The dead have been taken to the
undertakers where the relatives and
friends have gathered to Identify the
remains, Wounded are distributed
among the several hospitals and nearly
every citizen in the city has appointed
himself a committee of one to aid in
the work Of relief. All the members
Of the fire department save three were
killed. Plate glass was broken all
over the city, very few stores escaping
ana the damage to property Is enor-
| nous. All of the apparatus of the fire
department was destroyed and every
I horse killed
The powder was stored within the
city limits in violation of the law and
the indignation is intense