The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1895-01-19
BUITE'S AWFUL HORROR.
THE NUMBER OF DEAD is AT
THE LEAST SIXTY.
FIRST REPORTS ONLY TOO TRUE.
over One Hundred Badly Injured
Most OF the kille Mangled In
Most HORRIBLE Manner and He-
yond All Recognition tory
of One of the Escaped
Iiremcn.
FIRST REPORTS ONLY TOO TRUE.

BUTTE, Mont. Jan. 17-It is now
. estimated that the number killed by
Tuesday nights terrible explosion of
giant powder is sixty. Nearly fifty
are already known to have been
! killed.
! The city is in mourning and all
flags are at half mast. The relief
meeting called by the mayor was
| largely attended and committees APP
pointed for the collection of money
! for the relief of the distracted fami-
! lies. The people are responding lib
! orally and sufficient amount to re-
! lieve distress is already guaranteed.
! A number of the bodies are mangled
beyond all recognition and never will
be identified.
Inquiries are coming from all parts
of the United States inquiring about
relatives and friends who reside in
the city and who were supposed 70
have been here at the time of the ex-
plosion. 1t is admitted by all that
this is by far the most disastrous sur
face explosion that has occurred any
where in the country during recent
years.
The remains of fifty persons are at
the morgue and a number more are
missing over 100 are injured, many
OF them fatally. Every hospital in
the city is crowded. The city appears
TO be stunned and no one seems able
TO fully realize the extent of the ca
lamity, A majority of the dead are
so ofrightfully mangled that identifica-
tion is impossible.
Heads, arms, legs, and other parts
of bodies were picked upall about the
scene of the explosion for radius of
five blocks. The scene was one of
utter and absolute destruction. The
houses in the vicinity were as thor
oughly wrecked as If n cyclone had
passed through them. Many of the
killed contained no marks or bruises,
3 having been killed by the concussion.
Many were seriously injured by flying
bricks stones and other debris, at a
distance of several blocks from
the explosion The concussion was
felt for miles and many OF
the largest buildings rocked like
cradle. 1t was reported by some of
the rescuing corps that several human
ghouls, while pretending TO assist in
the work went through the clothing
of the dead and injured and robbed
them. Only three tiremen present at
the scene of the fire escaped being
killed. Chief Cameron was blown to
atoms and the only thing left of
him was belt attached TO charred
portion of his body
Fireman Dave McGee gave the fol-
lowing version of the appalling ex-
plosion:
. after reaching the fire, we laid
1 10 Af lAeo md IlannarN gfglI
at the hvdrant. | drove up to the
building with the hose, and then
drove back from it about 200 feet and
l stopped. A moment later the first
explosion occurred in the building,
and the flames burst through the roof
/ but no one was hurt by this eXplo-
sion. The boys then went back to the
building again, thinking the danger
was all over Jack Sloan came over
( to the wagon and got an axe, and
started in to cut an opening into the
building. My brother William got IN
the back of the wagon and advised
me to drive further away for fear OF
= another explosion. | told him there
was no danger, and got down tC
blanket the horses.
Just as pulled the blankets dcwr
from the seat and spread one of then
- | out TO throw IL over Iut iOIHti NllN
second explosion came. | did not see
anything, and only remember hear
ing the awful roar and being knocked
down. When | recovered a momep
later found the wagon partly on tol
of me with the tongue across m.
breast and the off horse was lyinl
, right on top of me- The blankets ha'
, caught fire. Pieces of wood wer
5 burning all around me, and ! wa
c momentarily choked aud bewildered
s ] struggled to get loose, but i wa
l unable TO free myself. People wer
p, screaming all around me an
= crying for help, and cpul
hardly make my voice heard. Afte
awhile a man came along and
: begged him for Gods sake to help IN
out With his assistance ! manage
to get out from under the weight tina
was pinning me down and struggle
TO my feet / limped along, but wa
getting along slowly, when coupl
of men came along and carried m
: into the Darrison house, and trol
there | was brought home. The las
I saw of Jack Sloane he was pound
!: ing away at the door and when | sa'
|: Cameron last he was taking the kinE
!: out of the hose betw en- the wago
}: and the burning building. All of th
!: other bows were close behind Sloan
|: and thev were certainly all killed"