Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-04-09
AWFUL EXPLOSION HORROR


iualuu tue canyon on tho siio NJ the
uiE cut THOUGH tho point ui clils tha'
tso huLdftde Of feet from the Hvtf
Two gangs Of men we're vt work at Ihu
lme AMI a. work was al out g. cl o.
NJ Tue DAY the final preparations TOT
utlinR Ia n big blast was being huf.
i,u. Foreman Moran hal persona
chhfge Of tbs work anu was tnmpluE
ne biHs. nH thu powder was being
ufed INTO the blasting hole. The *.
NltslUh caniO like n tbunuriclap and ir
u insia tue eide Of tho mUuatiiu
Iploaved, and when the smoke cleared
awhy men, rocks, earth AMI uthrif hnI
uccu hufl u down the mOuutain siIe.
Moran, kiikman, Weaver AMI Kemp.
1u were KILLED Instantly. Jtn Rub,
expired while being tsksn 10 the hus.
pitaL
Tho cause OF the awful explosion Il
supposed 10 have bren whst IL Known
among rock workers ~ "hol hule.v
IhHt u, the cavity iHtO which the pow.
uor was pl.ctd l. supposed tD have r..
'Ninel tuillcltnt heat irem former
"iast TO iguiio the low OF. II IL iht
custom am ing contractors to "spriuRn
lhr rock with giaul powder before lut.
nng Va the hlast ~ black powder. Tue
tock uai been sprung three timus zee.
'tflsy, twice IN the forenoon aud once
ln the Afternoon. rbc theory which %
lumber ~ tlu w0fkmBn accept ae ih
cause IL tbpt the hole Of cavity was MT
cuouRh TO explode the BLACK powder.
Atolher theory 10 thHt tho explosion
was tue result Of tpmring thJ tpgdut
Win ab ron sp0Ou, THIS, however, 10
-coulci, as II 10 claimed ny BONE Ui the
wuthmen that Moran wac doing the
Ampiug with wOOueu tlmpiug ttics,
while Otusf- say hO was using nu ifop
spoon. However, that will over remain
amyslory Tor poor Moran was the uulS
man VINO knew, The wooden ttlcg wa
ound upon the dump ami the ~ Ion
was picked up about iwenty itet rom
where tue bUdy Of Moran was lodgoI
~ the focks. SIN nuo her theory t.
thht II was not impnsriuir Tor spark
Of IRE to have remained IA tue mole
rom tue iufmer blasts aud that tue ex.
pllsiJn wa, caused In that way.
Ihrf' wrte tom thirty 10 forty men
az work within few feet from the
u.utt anu Ito wonder IN that moro
were not kilirI. A. t0Dn ~ the men
couil setsc what bhi hHpIenui aii
nnuds haslouci % tXtricatu tue 30 lice
from thoif weIgrd positions In the
tuekr. Moran, il ikmHn anu Kemp.
iuu were thfONu over gUJ itrt nlmo.t
upon tue bank tfthe uyuL The other
dead ani Wounded were lodged In the
ltbfis nearer The scene OF thetNplrsiln.
The dead anu Wounded were carried
across tho iOOt-bfiug. which slRns tue
aver ~ THIS point aud placed
~ wagons ihat hsd teen inpto.
Nised IHtO nmbuisnces. Tho dead
were taken 10 Richry's undsttak.
az cbtsbIish nitnt. The wtunJed we're
sent u the city hospital, where they
were cared ior by De. Joyce aud Oar.
dOn,
Moran and kirkn an were iorsmon.
BON sangs under tutm were at work
In tbs immediate vicinity o The bla,t.
MOfani VINO II an experienced con.
tractor, was peTsonaiy placing the
bIaEt. lie had the reputation Of being
a careful anu cautious blaster. lie has
been Ia tho employ Oi the Power Dam
company since the work was nfst
stnrleu. His VII ~ VIII IN no was
married about aytafRgO, lives In this
city. William KtNman's home
10 nj Five Points wnere his mmi.
~, consisting Of wife anu four
children, reside. q. Weaver came up
with tho last squad Of men who came
from The south, but his clunsotious oT
home could not he learned. Jtfi Ruby
lvod In Huntsvll @ ami was uumaf-
rled. Nat kemplOn IN reported as ne.
ing from PIUyO, but the report could
not lie verified. Moran, KifkhAm,
kemIton AMI Weaver were terribly
bruised Nnd " unded. All had their
SKULLS ctusnodAnd there was hardly a
hOue In their loiics that was moi
broken. lea Ruby lived about an
hour aud n hall after tho expli sion,
His head ana bOuy were cut and
bruised aud be was Internally injured.
Tho wounded are hurt Ia various WAYS
anu nearly all nave either broken arms
ur lrgf. spfoule ami HadnrlI are in.
formally Injured. StelsUn had his arm
crushed nj the elbow.
Andrew Sprou Il from Washing.
ton Guy, Wash ngtou tUunry, u al.
tie has been attending school Al
Provo during The wintsr and came
up with tho company that nTf,yrd
ten days ago. Hts wife and family
are AT present In Spanish FORK.
Elllngsf0ld comes from Morgan CIV.
HBItirld IL from Provo whefo lac IA
Sell'bnoan and whore hB fJiks reside,
LuanNn aud StvIsOn glso are from
Provo,
The rugged cliffs whers the accident
occurred presents a dtsOlats appesf.
ance. The ROCKS jut out from the
mountain lido C ID and lifoless H.
lowering ctsgi. The pipe line Ia about
200 feet above the river ana the ragged
Ifeciplcos arc almost imptsgnGbls.
Tue mass Of debris that low matks
the Bcuue OF who ale des,fuo.
ton Eight easily DO taken Tor
"a rock slide, ~ common In WA.
eTn mountains. There 10 ghOuIan
cavity Ia tue sheer 81 n, where the
fatal blast was exploited anu on tbs
sharp rocks Ii sphtteTed the life blood
OF tue mon 40 cruelty crushed to death,
SCgGps Ut clothing, has, coats ana
vesti that were on the Jump, arc gfup.
some reminders OF the AWFUL accident.
To-day the tuu viii shiuu brightly over
thu ghAstly tcuuu Hud the waters oil the
river will 1.w tuTuulently on, but moi
nom the hoax Ie.kB OF granite and
gueiss or tho GOgring music OF tnt
mountain stream viii bB told the SAD
story VI tho uTiof reign OF the angel OF
death, Comrades u the fatou mon will
lOJk upon the scene snd live over and
over again IN ktsn0st memory tue gw.
tui eXItr,suCe which made human lie
a rlayt iYg,
Tuu amount Of powder IN the blast
iB uOi accurately known, though ls
estimated 10 have been bstwuun tw,lv
end iiitetn Regr, This amount wud
bo considered rather large blasl. Tao
method Of blasting Il known az
"churu" blnsts, A hole In fret drilled