The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-27
NEARLY WIPED OUT
NITRo-eLYoERIEE sHIVERs A TOWN
In INDIANA,

NITRO-GLYCERIEE SHIVERS A TOWN
In INDIANA,
Eighty Quarts of the Deadly Explosive Let
on just Outside Chesserfiieid, with
Some Extraordinary ResuIts-Firs al
kittanning. Pa.-Prairie Fires In New
MexIco-Austrian Steamer sank In q
CoIiision-sus,ected Murderer Found
Hidirg In a Manger-Generai News oi
Crime and Catastrophe.
Louisville, KY, Nov. pa special
from Anderson to the Evening Post
says: Chesterfield, Ind. was almost
wiped off the map at an early hour this
morning by the explosion Of so quarts
Of nitro-glycerine which had been
brought overland from Montpelier and
placed in an open field, half mile from
the town. Marion Mansey and Sam Ma
guire were working at a gas well near
by when the explosion occurred. Man
sey was thrown fifty feet but not IA
fatally injured.
Mcguire was also thrown a hundred
feet in the air and badly lacerated, but
will recover.
James Colds house, 300 rois distant
was torn TO pieces. The explosion tore
a hole in the ground down to the water
line, and 50 far as is learned it was
spontaneous. A three-ton engine was
torn to fragments and every living an
imal was killed instantly. The little
town Of Chesterfield is mass of ruins,
every house was moved from its foun-
dations, windows shattered, doors
smashed in, every light put out and the
plaste-ing shaken from the walls
Several people were shaken out Of
bed.
At Dalesville, two miles away, and at
Yorktown, five miles distant, the dam
age was almost as great. Many people
were injured, and it is miracle that
none were killed outright.
The jar OF the explosion was felt for
fifteen miles in all directions.
The gas in the we'll was blown out and
workman named Cooper lit Il and
caused another explosion in which he
was fatally burned
The damage cannot be estimated.
LATER-BUT MILDER.
Chesterfield, Ind, Nov. 2S-An expJo-
sion OF nitor-glycerine occurred one-half
mile west Of this city at $40 O'Clock last
night. Sixty quarts Of nitroglycerine
were hauled there for the purpose of
shooting a gas well today. The explo-
sive was placed in a. large zinc tub, 10
Gated at the end Of steam exhaust
pipe, for the purpose OF thawing out the
mixture. It is the theory that the tub
became overheated, causing an explo-
sion, with disastrous results. A hole
ten feet long and several feet in depth
was torn in the earth, The engine was
blown TO pieces.
DrilIers Haney and Mcclure had a re-
markable escape. They were standing
within thirty feet OF the scene of the
accident, and were hurled twenty feet
by the fore Of the explosion, but with
the exception of few bruises they es-
capped unhurt. Persons one hile away
Mere lifted from their feet by the con-
5ussion and the jar was pepceptibly felt
for ten miles. Fire followed the ex-
pl0siou, but the flames were quickly ex-
tinguished.
FIRE AT KITTANING, PA.
Kittaning, Pa, Nov. 26.-Fire at 2
O'Clock this morning destroyed McCol-
oug.h's hardware store, Beale's dry goods
store, Heilman's house furnishing store.
the Armstrong Water company's build
ing, Merchants National bank and the
office of Attorney Ross Reynolds. A
NUMBER OF other buildings were badly
damaged. The loss was about $50, 600.
A number Of persons were injured dur
ing the fire, among them Dr. Samuel
Jessoq, who was seriously burned about
the face. James Buck, who was badly
cut by falling glass.
PRAIRIE FIRES.
Clayton, y. NJ, Nov. Pa prairie IRE
is sweeping over the country south OF
this point. The grass is very high and
there has been 10 rain for weeks.
The course of the fire is through the
great cattle range belt, and for over
200 miles there is no barrier in its path.
The wind is blowing very hard from the
north.
Thousands of sheep are in danger and
are being rushed To places Of sofety.
Should the wind change 10 the south,
which Is indicated by the clearing, the
danger will not be so great, Otherwise
there is no estimating the probable de-
struction. So far only two ranches have
been destroyed, but many are now ex-
posed.
OCEAN STEAMER SUNK.
London, Nov. 2S.-The British steamer
Baron Ardrossan from Bombay on Oc-
tober il, for Antwerp and Havre, COLI
ded with the Austrian steamer Joksi
last night off Dungeness, with the result
that the Jokai was so badly damaged
that size sank shortly afterwards. Four
Of hsr crew were drowned and nine
teen others were rescued by a pilot cut
ter. TIE Baron Ardrossan had her bow
stove in.
The Jokai is an iron vessel, was built
at Barrow in 1882 and registered LAS
tons gross She halls from Fiume
UNDER A PILE OF HAY.
Chicago, Nov. 26.-James Ryan, charg-
ed with being an sccomplice in the mys- |.
teriouE disappearance of Mrs.. Christie
pher Merry Of 50 Hope street last Sunday
was placed under arrest ;his afternoon
After evading the officers for days ne
was discovered under pile Of hay in one
Of the managers OF Nick Redmunds liv-
cry stable. Twelfth and Loomis streets. |
He had been concealed there by the pro-
prietor. it is said, since Monday.