Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-01-16
CHIEF OF HORRORS.
A Fire Followed by Three Terrific
and Deadly Explosions in
Butte City, Mont.
Human Arms and Legs Scattered Over
Acres-Fire Department Wiped
Out-Hospitals Filled-Great
Destruction of Property.

Destruction of Property.
Butte, Mont, Jan. 16.-A fire broke out
in the Butte Hardware companys ware
house in the southern part of the city
last night at $50. Ten minutes later a
terrific explosion of powder occurred
which broke nearly all the large plate
glass windows in the city mile away
and shook buildings to their foundations
The fremen engaged in fighting the
flames were nearly all blown to atoms
Two more explosions followed at inter.
walls of five minutes each, killing and
wounding many people. Excitement is
intense.
The fire attracted large crowd and
hundreds were standing near the scene
when the first explosion occurred. Men
women and children were cut down by the
terrible force of the explosion. II was
something awful.
FLAMING BRANDS.
The debris from the cars standing near
the warehouse and adjoining the build
ings was scattered high in the air and for
a half mile away, many flaming articles
striking people in the crowd and about
the clty.
At 9:55 the fire department responded
to the call from box ~. The firemen
heard the rumor that there was powder
in the building, but this was denied, and
after moments hesitation they began
fighting the fire. At 1O:08, when the men
had barely started at work there
was an explosion, which shook Butte to
it's very foundation. The powder in the
warehouse blew up, spreading death and
ruin in every direction.
MANY F1REMEN KILLED.
All but three firemen were killed. There
were heroes among the spectators, how
ever, and as soon as the stun of the shock
passed away, while some ran in terror
others began pulling the mutilated bodies
of the firemen and injured from the prox.
unity of the flames.
From all over the city people began
moving toward the fire and the crowd
had greatly increased within five min.
utes.
ANOTHER EXPLOSION.
second explosion, almost equal in
volume to the first, heightened the terror
all over the city and spread death and
desolation over acres surrounding the
scene of disaster.
In this explosion scores Of citizens
were killed and parts of the bodies oI
the injured were hurled hundreds of feet
One man, near the Northern Pacific water
tank, was almost struck by the leg ant
thigh of human being.
HEROES AT WORK.
There were still heroes left to help pul
the shrieking, wounded, groaning ant
dying to distance, but the people uF
other carloads of powder in the vicinity
besides that stored in the warehouses.
THIRD EXPLOSION.
Five minutes later third explosion
came, but it was mild one and it is be
lieved that very few if any were injured
thereby.
1t all occurred in fifteen minutes -th'
most horrible quarter of an hour ii
Butte's history. The awfulness of thu
scene after the explosions was beyond
description. Words could give no idea o
it. It presented more the appearance o
a battle field than anything else.
DEAD sTREwN EVERYWHERE.
The dead were strewn everywhere ant
the cries and groans of the injured ant
dying were simply heartrending. Bloot
and brains we're spattered around ant
here and there pieces of flesh we're found
Between the Northern Pacific and tn
Great Northern depots, a space of 30'
feet, the ground was literally covered
with parts of human bodies and with thu
dead and injured.
The scene was one of utter and abso
lutte destruction. The houses in the
vicinity were as thoroughly wrecked as i
cyclone had passed through them.
TWENTY SEVEN DEAD BODIES IN A PILE.
One of the rescuing corpse gathered
twenty-seven dead bodies in one pile
eight in another, two in another ani
three in an other horrible heap.
The rescuers pulled some bodies on
still quivering; remnants ofhuman being
still groaning, whose legs and arm ha(
been torn off; shapeless trunks quiveret
and died in the arms of the living.
REsCU1Na THE DEAD AND DYING.
The work of rescuing the dead and dying
was prosecuted in earnest. Every vehicle
in the city was brought into service tt
carry away the scores of dead and hun
dreds Of INJURED.
CARING FOR THE MuTILATED.
The hospitals we're filled, the spar
rooms in the hotels we're taken and pri
vats houses were thrown open where i
was necessary.
Chief Cameron directed the attack Of
the building, and while some of the fire
men hauled the line OF hose along other
started in to tear off the iron covering o
the building 80 that they could get at tn
flames.
BL1ND1Na SHEET OF FLAME.
just as they had succeeded in tearing Of
a part of the covering above the secon
entrance the first explosion came.
binding sheet of flame forced the roo
from it's fastenings and shot hundreds o