The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-20
WHERE DID 1T START
THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION
But the Witnesses Do Not All Agree
as to the Location of the First
"Puff"-A Diagram Of the
Scene Of Horror.

prove that the first big and deadly ex-
plosion did not come from the Kenyon
Connell warehouse, where the fire
originated. but that II came from the
Butte Hardware company's building,
so or 100 feet east OF the Kenyon.Con-
nell building. When the trial of the
case was resumed yesterday morning
John +. Forbis. of counsel for the
Kenyon-Connell company, made
statement to the jury as to what the
defense expected to prove. He made
no reference to the quantity of explo-
sives that were stored In the build
ing and said the whole question was
simply one as to where the first de-
sfructive explosion came from. He
said facts would be shown to prove so
conclusively that there could be no dis
pute that there were two big explo-
sions-one in the Kenyon Connell and
the other In the Butte Hardware
building and that the first came from
the latter. First they would show the
contents of the warehouses; that the
Butte Hardware company carried wire
in coils and pipes, such as were scat
tered over the ground, and that the
Kenyon-Connell company carried no
such material: that the Kenyon-Con-
nell company had in stock the heavy
tuaTc vi iiOts ncu BAatto ofo eafN N~.~>-
" "rabble heads" which the Butte
Hardware company did not carry;
that the Butte Hardware company
carried shovels and the other company
did not. Mr.. Forbis said IL would then
be shown that in the first explosion
iron pipes and 1o0-pound coils OF cop
Der wire were thrown out and that on
top of the wire were found, after all
the explosions. the heavy bars OF iron
from the Kenyon Connell warehouse.
1t would be further shown by the evil
dence. he said. that the stun thrown
out from the Butte Hardware building
had been stored In the northeast cor
ner near the powder and that In the
Kenyon Cornell building there was
nothing near the powder but the fish
plates and the rabble heads, which
were thrown in a northwesterly direc-
ton. Besides this. the Butte Hard
ware company had in stock lot of lu-
bricating oil which was thrown out,
burning. in the first explosion. and
made the great display of fire seen in
the heavens. Mr. Forbis said 1t had
already been shown that the second
explosion came from the Kenyon-Con-
nell building and that IL the first also
came from there then both explosions
originated in that warehouse. The
ground under the Butte Hardware
building showed evidence of a greater
explosion than the ground under the
other building. and II would also be
shown that the 'rabble heads" were
thrown out by the second explosion.
Thomas T. Baker was the first wit
ness for the defense and testified to a
large map he made of the scene of the
explosion for the defense. The differ
ent warehouses. railroads. and various
piles OF debris were shown on the map
and the witness said that on the day
following the explosion he found sew
Avul ALL <xF f.t. 90 .aal
some heavy bars of iron. On cross
examination by Mr.. Nolan the witness
said he went 10 the scene the afternoon
after the explosion and at that time
took notes from which he made his
map. On the 18th and 18th he made
surveys and measurements at the re-
quest of the Kenyon Connell company.
He said he represented on the map
only the important and material OBJ
jects. There was shown on the map a
shaft which had no relation to any
thing regarding the explosion and
Mr.. Nolan asked the witness why he
considered as important and mater
iaf' a shaft that had nothing around
IL but a hole in the ground" and Mr..
Baker said IL was on the map as an
object from which to show distances
to other objects. He said that when
he made a map for persons he put no
more time on IL than desired and
OF the reasons why some things were
left of. Mr.. Baker said there was
nothing to show that the bars of iron
might not have been thrown on the
coils OF wire after the explosion, and
in answer to question from Mr.. No
Ian he replied that IL was possible that
the bar of iron might have been
thrown there by the two men who lift
ed IL from one of the victims of the
explosion. He also said that the ex-
cavations under the buildings might
have been there before the buildings
were erected and might not have been
made by the explosions at all. They
might have been portions of the old
placer diggings. but he also said that
the excavations took out a part of the
foundations of the buildings.
Charles circuit. warehouse man for
the Kenyon-Connell company at the
time OF the explosion. testified that he
had been in charge of the warehouse
that burned down and was familiar
with its contents. He was at home at
the time of the explosion and reached
the scene about 1880 o'clock. after the
last explosion had occurred. orcutt
identified a map or drawing, made
under his direction. showing the posi-
ton and contents of the warehouse
before the explosion. The powder was
located in the northeast corner of the
building and on the platform outside
the building. at the same corner, were
the heavy pieces OF iron before re-
ferred TO. The witness located In the
building every character of material
kept In stock by the Kenyon onnell
company.
Mr.. circuit said the Kenyon-connell
company carried no wire at all in its
warehouse. He testified that he had
also been acquainted with the contents
of the Butte Hardware building. and
that he had a map made OF It, The
map was produced and the witness
designated on IL the location of the
coils OF wire. corrugated iron. oil. iron
wheelbarrows etc. which the Kenyon
Council company did not have I'm stock.
On the morning after the explosion Or
cult visited the scene of the explosion
and found the rabble heads and fish
plates scattered all over the country
10TH IND norfhxQsf NJ fha KeuvOn-