The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-01-24

Demolished and the property LoSa
Will Reach Enormous Figures.
During the progress Of n fire AT the
Kcnyon-Corncll Hardware Company's
warehouse in Butte. Mont, Tuesday
hight Il terrific explosion occurred. as a
result Of which it is estimated that sew
cnty-tivc persons have lost their lives.
When the smoke had cleared away the
terrified survivors were sickcued at the
sight of the ground for Il block around the
scene of the explosion streWn with the
quivering and d~ismcmbercd flesh of men
and horses, pinned down by fragments
of the fire engines and burning brands
from the demolished warehouse. Upon
the site of the warehouse there was II
CHASTITY hole filled with debris, blazing in
hundreds of places. with here and there
the fragments of an unfortunate fireman.
The noise Of the explosion broke all the
glass in the city and caused the houses to
rock ; violently that the residents were
stricken with fear. They did not know
from what quarter the disaster had come,
and as the explosion had almost destroyed
the burning warehouse thcr" was little
to mark the scene of terrible destruction.
The news spread like wildtirc, however.
ana hundreds were soon around the spot.
Second and Third Explosions.
After the first explosion hundreds of
people FASTENED 10 the scene and this ac-
counts for the great loss of life. While
they were c~ndcavoring to render assist
ance to the injured the second explosion
occurred. moving down the crowds Of
men. women and children. as with Il
sickle of death. The survivors were has
tening from the scene when Il third .N-
plosion occurred. adding to the list OF
victims. as many of the tcrrorstrick"n
people. fleeing from the see q Of dcstruc-
ton, were moved down by the flying !e-
bris.
1t was speedily learned that the entire
fire department. including the chief. men.
horses and all the machines. had been
utterly swept out of existence. Owing
to the nature of the fire and its dangerous
locality the entire force was called out 40
prevent Il spread of the flames 10 nd
joining warehouses and all of the mon
were at work. Three policemen were
detailed TO keep The spectators back. and
they were also killed. Many of The spec
tators were instantly killed and several
were hurled back rods from the scene of
the fire and rendered unconscious by the
force of the shock. Dozens of men were
found rods away from the Warehouse
bruised. bleeding and unconscious. and
Il number Of them will not recover.
The fire started in the Royal Milling
Company'S warehouse and spread to the
kenyon-Cornell warehouse in which was
stored 4 carload of giant powder. The
first explosion was the most terrific and
killed every fireman in the Immediate
vicinity save two belonging at the Central
station. One of these was standing be-
hind the hose cart horses and the other
was ut Il water hydrant some distance
away.
1t is estimated that about 100 addi-
tional persons We're injured, several of
whom died after being taken to the hos
pitfalls. The list of dead will possibly
reach sevcnty-tiye. and the damage done
10 property will be more than $1.OUO.O 600.
In all three car loads of powder exploded.
one of which was stored in the Butte
Hardware Company's warehouse. which
adjoined the Kcnyon-Corncll warehouse.
Every Fireman Killed.
The iiromcn who had escaped the first
explosion immediately rallied and were
beginning another attack when a second
explosion. more violent than the frs.
took place. The people in the vicinity
We're moved down as with a great scvthe.
and the streets for half Il block around
looked like n great battle field. Debris
was thrown high III the air. coming down
half a mile away. Many people on the
streets III the center of the city were thus
injured.
y few of the remaining fircmon We're
Catherin" themselves together and AT
tempting To- escape To Il place Of safety
when the third and last explosion occur
red. This, too. killed and injured many
people. There We're several cars of The
powder and all of them exploded. The
whole heavens were lighted IN and the
city shook rs if an earthquake was in
progress.
Immediately after the first explosion
the entire hospital corps and police force
were summoned. and many of the detach-
mcnts of these companies are among the
killed and injured in the subsequent ey-
ploSious.
The giant powder. which was for use
in blasting in the mines. was stored in
the warehouse contrary 10 law. and the
iirrmen had no warning of its presence.
.Att"r III" first explosion il was supposed
that there had been Il single car of the
explosive. but the subsequent horrors de-
vclopcd the fact that there were several
cars stored in the warehouse sheds.
Sixteen bodies We're taken out of ono
spot clinging together. as if welded by
the hand of cruel death, and so MANNED
and disiigured as TO be totally rorecoc.
nizablo