The San Francisco call., 1895-05-22
MEN TORN TO SHREDS.
Five Whites and at Least Eight
Chinese Known to Have
Been Killed.
LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE SHOCK.
Only Great Holes In the Earth Mark
the Place Where the Build
ings Stood.


are known to have lost their lives this morn
ing in the explosion that occurred at the
nitro-glycerine house of the California
Powder Comyany's works at this place.
Five of these were white men and the
others were Cinnamon. The white men
were:
o. Clare Johnson, foreman of the nitro
glycerine house.
Harry Minnaugh, assistant foreman.
Charles Venegas.
David Dean.
Walter Taylor, foreman of the mixing
house. in which the nine Chinese were
also employed.
This is probably the most serious ex
plosion of the kind that has ever occurred
on the Coast. 1t came in three successive
shocks about 10:45 o'clock in the NOR ming.
and was distinctly felt and heard as far off
as Oakland and Alameda, where many
people supposed it to be an earthquake.
Most of the buildings at the company's
plant were affected by the shock and many
of them were either totally or partially
wrecked.
No one living has the remotest idea of
what caused the explosion-at least that is
what the officials and workmen of the
plant who were on the ground at the time
declare-nor is it expected that the most
careful searching will reveal anything
more than probable cause.
81 have never had more competent,
more steady, conscientious and reliable
crew at work in the nitro-glycerine house
than were these poor fellows whose re-
mains are now scattered to the winds"
said Acting Superintendent Pollock this
afternoon. every possible safeguard was
employed, and one can scarcely guess even
as TO the cause of this terrible accident"
1t is known almost to a certainty that
the nine Chinese were killed, but how many
more than that may be dead may never be
known, and this is due to the fact that as
soon as the astonished Celestials who es-
capped the doom could regain their senses
they cut off over the hills as fast as their
legs would carry them.
In all there were about sixty Cinnamon
employed at the works. This afternoon
there was not one on the grounds, and it
is likely many of them will never return to
give an accounting of themselves and
enable the company to ascertain the exact
number of those who lost their lives
Some of the workmen said they thought
twenty Cinnamon would be closer esti-
mate to the number killed.
The Mongolians known to be killed
were: Lem Lock, Ii Chung, Wong Chau,
Gun Sing, Ham Chez, Sing Hong, Hong
Wah and Long See. Most of these killed
by the explosion were literally blown to
atoms.
All the afternoon men with gunnv sacks
were poking about among the ruins and
for more than a hundred yards about
picking up bits and scraps of human flesh
and bones and garments. While Superin-
tendent Pollock stood on the tramway
overlooking the scene of the frightful
accident. explaining to the newsgatherers
the position of the buildings before the
shock came an old man climbed up the
hill and held out some rags in his hand.
That's piece of poor Taylor's coat"
he said.
Some of the workmen examined it and
confirmed the statement
"That Is all that has been found of Tay-
1or yet" said Pollock. There was silence
in the group then for an instant.
Johnson's body was horribly mutilated
when found at the top of the hill, about
200 yards from the scene of the explosion.
One foot hung by thread to the ankle.
The left leg was missing entirely. Some
few pieces of tattered clothing still hung
to the body. The face, strange to say, was
not badly disfigured, and from it the iden-
tity of the body was easily recognizable.
Johnson-Clare Johnson everybody called
him-was general favorite at the works
and is spoken of as young man of most
exemplary habits. He was 81 years of age
and was onty married last December. His
comely young wife-now widow-came out
to the works at once and was almost wild
with grief when she heard that her hus-
band was one of the victims. They had a
pretty little home on the main road be-
tween San Pablo and Pinole.
johnson was highly priced as skilled
workman by the company. He neither
drank, smoked nor possessed any bad hab-
its. He was Canadian by birth and had
worked on his fathers ranch at Giant sta
ton until three years ago, when he was
hrst employed at the powder works.
Harry Minaugh's body, or what was re-
covered of it. was found just outside of the
big excavation left by the conclusion.
Only the breast, head and arms were intact.
All the lower part of the body was blown
away. Minaugh boarded at the company's s
house on the grounds, but leaves widow
and seven children in Oakland, who reside
at 2269 Telegraph avenue. He was about
45 years old and was one of the most trusted
employees on the place.
Charles Venegas was to have been mar
ried tomorrow to the sister of Pedro
Higuera, who works in the acid depart
ment at the other side of the hill. Miss
Higuera was early on the scene, and so
great was the unfortunate girls excite
ment that it was necessary to restrain her
from rushing into the nitrate warehouse,
which was for the time being used as the
dead house. But her errand there would
have been fruitless.
Not trace of her lovers body had been