The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-09-09
FIVE PEOPLE KILLED
A Frightful Accident Caused by. q
Boys Fooishnsss.
EXPLOSION OF DYNAMITE
The Whole Family Mangled-A
Young Child Escapes InJury-lt
Shook the Whole Town.
Houses Demolished.

Minneapolis. Sept. s.-A frightful ac-
cident. resulting in the death of five
persons, occurred to-day at specht's
Ferry. a small station on the Milwau-
kee road. ~ miles above Dubuque. A.
Kirchner OF Fountain City has the con-
tract for putting, wing dams In the river
and has large force of men employed.
These men boarded at a large shanty
run by Edward Latshaw, whose home
was in Victory. Wis. This morning
Foreman c. II. Owens was passing the
building when he noticed one of the
Latshaw boys firing rifle near the
house, which was raised near the
ground. and under 1t large amount of
dynamite was stored. Owens pointed
out the danger of an explosion. and
the lad promised to stop firing the gun.
Owens passed along and had got about
so feet when the gun was again fired
and an explosion OF dynamite followed
There were seven persons In the
building, which was blown to atoms.
OF the seven. four were killed. also the
boy outside who fired the fatal shot
The killed are: Edward Latshaw,
Charity Latshaw, his wife Ray Lat
shaw, his son. aged IL. Mat Latshaw.
his son, aged s. Hans Bjornsten of La
Crosse. Wis. Mabel Latshaw. aged Is.
had her skull fractured. Matt Faber Of
Wabasha suffered severe concussions.
Ed Bench Of Lansing. Mich. had an
eye blown out and sustained other Sc
we're injuries. A little girl. aged s. who
was standing on the outside. had her
clothes entirely stripped from her. but
was not injured. Word was telegraph
ed to Dubuque. and in a short time
several doctors were on special train.
which made the 12 miles in 13 minutes.
The injured were brought to this city
and placed In hospitals. 1t is thought
one Of the men and the girl will re-
cover.
The scene Of the explosion is little
hamlet, containing only a hotel. de-
pot, warehouse and a few shanties.
The force Of the explosion tore a hole
Is feet deep in the solid rock. wrecked
the building above II and damaged
nearly every other building In the
place. The mother, two daughters and
young son were found In the wrecked
house. The baby was lying across her
mothers dead and mutilated body, cry
ing piteously. Latshaw's body was
found 200 yards away. His head was
partly buried In the earth. The boy who
did the shooting was thrown over the
tops Of high trees. falling to the earth
a shapeless. unrecognizable mass. In
Specht's hotel every window was shat
tered and the building otherwise dam
aged. The side of the warehouse caved
in and small building near 1t was un-
rooted. Barges moored on the opposite
side of the river were so much damaged
by the concussion that 1t Is feared they
may sink. The hamlet has every ap-
pearance of being swept by a cyclone.
Dubuque. Iowa, Sept. S-There was
an explosion Of dynamite at Specht's
Ferry. eight miles north Of here. Five
men are reported killed. Ed Bench OF
Lansing had an eve knocked out and
was badly bruised; Mabel Latshaw
skull Treasured. The dead are terribly
mangled. A 4-year-old child In the
party escaped unhurt. Glass In build.
ings in the hamlet was all broken and
boats on the opposite side of the river
were considerably damaged. A special
train from Dubuque took six physicians
to the scene and brought the wounded
to the hospitals here.