The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-21
THE BUTTE hORROR.

The responsibility for this terrible sacrifice Of
| human lives rests with someone. A serious
| crime has been committed and the guilty ones
| should be made to suffer for 1t. The people de-
| mand that scare Ing investigation be made
| by the co oner jury Tor the purpose of discov-
ering who Is answerable for the horrible butch
cry and they will lie satisfied with nothing else.
| Butte Tribune.
The entire state will mourn with Butte over
the awful loss of life caused by the explosion
| there on Tuesday night. A careful examina-
ton into ali the circumstances will probably be
necessary before the blame for the disaster can
be placed where II belongs. If it is shown that
the law was violated by the storage OF large
quantities 81 explosives in the city, as seems to
be probable, such punishment should be meted
out To the guilty parties as will make the repetl-
ton Of such horrors mpossible-Kdltspel Inter
Lake.
There was a law. or city ordinance in Butte
Mont, fOrbidding the storage OF explosives
within the city. No attention had been paid to
II. The persons who thus exposed scores of
lives had not even the forethought, or con-
science, TO warn the tiremen and spectators
when fire broke out in the building in which
the explosives were stored. COnsequen ly the
men who had gone 10 the rescue of the threat
e. ed property had no know edge OF the danger
they were encountering. The horrible death OF
arly 100 brave men was the result The per-
sons who thus recklessly or thoughtlessly caused
the sacrifice OF these lives should be made TO
pay the penalty for ii, whoever they may be.
We probably will learn that the explosives we're
the property of some big mining company or
railroad corporation and that it was nobodys
fault in particular that they were where they
should not have been. But IL certainly must
have been somebody's business TO know where
these explosives were and to see to IL that they
were not left where they would be a menace to
a whole city. And there should be enough
justice In Montana to convict those persons Of
plluSlaIIultpT and max a an ~ m Of for
the benefit Of other corporation officials who
consider that their duties are limited to p!ling
up profits. regardless OF the public safety
Buffalo Express.
Those who were guilty OF the storage OF pow
d. IN the Butte warehouse are morally guilty
of murder. The wiifuI disr gard OF human life
and OF human laws, which permitted the storage
Of Is much OF that powerful destructive agent,
is rs much a crime as deliberate and premedi-
tated murder Unfortunately. the law does not
50 regard II, but the perpetrators of this awful
outrage may be adiudged guilty OF manslauChter
and be punished by Imprisonment for life.
Poetic jus Ice and a righteous retribution would
require that the owners and agents OF the own
erS OF the d' Mantle be required To swallow
large cartridges of The explosive, and TO press
the button themselves which would explode the
deadly stun. This may seem barba ouS but
nothing can be quite 50 barbarouS, - iuhuman
81 crue. dS the carclcSSnesS which permitted an
accident like that OF Tuesday night 10 be posi-.
be Tacoma NsCE
All the prayers OF ChriStendom cannot bring
10 life the victims OF that awful night All the
money on earth could not atone .Or the suffer
ins and deSolation caUsel 10y someone who be.
grudged the meaSly expense that would be in
CARED In transferring deadly element To a
place ut safety. On account OF the impecuuious
greed OF men, the laws OF our commonwealth
were ANONYMOUSLY ignored as they too fire.
queut axe 10y those in positions OF society and
wealth. Had poor, ragged and hungry Va
grant gone into the place 81 business Of the par
ties who are the cause Of the horr bic sequel OF
tuesday Might mighty roar would have gone
NJ, and the vicious" cu.prt cast in prison 10
eNp.dtc his crime. II one man murdered an
other. directly or indirectly. he Is made 10 suffer
the penalties OF the law. But here we have a
greedy corporation of men who for the sake OF
saving few sheke>, are the de facto murder
ers oi more than 20 innocent human beings
while first performing acts of duty In quel.ng a
destructive FIRE. ana then in turn those who
were performing an act of mercy in rcscuiug
their fellow beings who had fallen al the first
explosion. and who were CRYING and pleading
for assistance 10 say nothing of those who viii
he manned Tor life. They are the cause OF
hlEItrd homes. widowed mothers and hplple>S
orphans. VII they suffer the penalty u their
deeds II all the forces 81 the law were me. ID
ont 10 them wou that be sufficient atoncmrnts
The answer j. too grsa- for The conception OF |
man The BgstIGG1 will not pretend 10 say |
what should be- done. The law : p.ainl writ
ten. 10 has the case m hand; there Is NJ room |
fou doubt. the evidence = direc.: the couSe-
queucc reality. whitrwaShing proce. vii. /
no, satisfy. False testimony and nm>y ex-
,u>e> viii not be accepted. II justice rNist>-if
our Laws are worth the paper they are written |
someone must answer Tor most uiabolcal |
AMI lJmuab.r crime Bate B.,.BEdtr.
Tho vHo. state mpJ-n> tho sal AFFAIR. II /
appears saGt tH' law hI, teru outraged most /
>law,'..y 90 THIS catastrophe hat tons OF /
powder could De- stored in ci-N like Butte Ia /
direct Violation % the law, seems UDaecouuta-