The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-01-16
A HORROR AT BUTTE
Sixty Firemen Killed by the
Explosion of Giant
Powder.
DIsMEMBERED MEN AND HORSES
The City Awakened From Sleep to
Face a Calamity Without
Parallel.

is Just beginning 10 recoNeh - oiA' ~
stupor into which it was thrown py the
overwhelming calamity of last night. Up
to daylight this morning little or Moth
ing could be learned with accuracy as
~ the full extent of the disaster, and
even yet it is impossible to give compete
lists of the killed and wounded. Many
of the former were so mangled ana dls-
ernbered that identification is impossible
while the wounded are distributed
throughout the city in private residences
! 10 mat a complete census cannot be
/ made. Enough is known, however, TO
Warrant the statement that the death
roll will reach sixty at least, while the
injured number about forty. The ex-
cess of the killed over the wounded
is due to the terrific force of the ex-
plosions-three in number-which mercl-
fully killed the victims outright instead
of manning them and which in many
cases swept completely out of existence
human bodies and substantial build
ings.
THE FIRST EXPLOSION.
IT was about ten O'Clock when the first
explosion occurred A small flre mad
broken out in a storage near the tracks
of the Montana Central Road. 1t was
not suspected that explosives were stored
in the structure as such storage IS IN
violation of the city ordinances which are
particularly strict in this respect, owing
to the danger arising from the presence
of large quantities of high explosives
used in mining operations.
The firemen, therefore. went to work
without any idea of danger and when the
first explosion occurred, killing at least
twelve of the tiremen, the calamity was
wholly unexpected The men rallied
bravely however, and with such OF the
fire apparatus as had escaped destruc-
ton, attacked the flames, which during
the confusion had gained great head
way. The work was progressing favor
ably when a second explosion occurred.
The first it is believed, was caused by
nitro-glycerine It was bad enough, but
the second, which resulted from the igni-
ton of two cars of giant powder stand
ing on the side tracks beside the blaz-
ing building, was absolutely appalling IN
its force. The shock shattered buildings,
knocked down ehimneys and rent hmp
from limb men within 300 yards OF It.
It wiped out of existence what remained
,s<.- = fire department, killing men and
horses, and converting the fire engines
into heaps of twisted and diseolored
metal.
AWFUL GIANT POWDER.
This explosion was the most fatal of
the three for the reason that when
quantity of the giant powder stored in
the warehouse of the Butte Warehouse
Company blew up, few minutes later
there was practically no one left to be
killed. The last explosion, however,
was fully as powerful as the second.
The warehouse was absolutely annihil-
ated. not one stone being left upon an
other, and where the building had stood
a great blackened hole. like the orator of
a volcano, told of the force of the ignited
explosive.
The explosions coming in rapid sue
cession terrified and bewildered rescuing
parties and few dared to venture within
range of the burning buildings until it
was certain that no further danger was
to be apprehended. 1t was not until
nearly three o'clock when systematic
ambulance service was organized and the
work of removing the dead and injured
was begun in earnest. From that time
the work went on systematically and
earnestly and by six o'clock it was
thought that all the dead had been re-
covered except the dsmembered frag-
X ments-torn and bleeding limbs and par
ticles of fesh-that were to be found
everywhere within a radius of quarter
Of mile from the scene of the explosion.
A FEARFUL SCENE.
When the smoke had cleared away 1t
was seen that the ground for a block
around the scene of the accident was
smewn with the quivering flesh of dis.
membered men and horses, pinned down
by fragments of the fire engines and
burning brands from the demolished
! warehouse. The warehouse was literally
bicwn to pieces, and a hole seventy feet
deep was excavated in the ground by
the force of the explosion. 1t is feared
that some bodies were thrown into this
chasm by the force of the explosion and
that they were cremated.
Owing to the nature of the fire and the
danger of it's locality, the entire force
OF the Fire Department was called out
to prevent spread of the flames to
adjoining buildings. Three policemen had
been detailed to keep the crowd back and
they were also killed.
Many of the spectators were instantly
killed, and several were hurled back
some distance from the scene of the fire
and rendered unconscious by the force
of the shock. Many persons living in
onSt2nt parts OF the CITY nave lOSI the
power of hearing and speech from the
force of the shock.
SIXTY DEAD.
The list Of dead will be more than
sixty, and the damage done to property
will be more than $1,000, 900. In all three
carloads of powder exploded.
At two o'clock this morning forty-three
dead bodies had been found and re-
moved to the morgue. Many of them
were so shockingly burned and mutilated
as to be totally unrecognizable.
A small boy, whose name is not known,
about ten years of age, was found dead
In the street block and a half from
the scene of the explosion. One woman
was killed in a house half block away
! by an anvil which was thrown through
the roof
Human heads, legs and arms were
scattered for several blocks from the
scene OF the explosion.
It is believed that complete list of
the dead cannot be secured for several
days.
The first explosion was caused by nitro
glycerine stored in the private ware
house of the Kenyon-C Connell Commercial
Company. which was burned The sec
cnd came from carload of powder on