The record-union., 1897-09-30
Extensive Powder Works Near Santa
Cruz Blown Up.
There Was Not a Vestige Of Several Of
the Buildings Left.
Buildings q Hundred Yards From
the Scene Twisted and Torn
Luckily No One Was Killed.
Though Several Persons Had
Narrow Escapes.

SANTA CRUZ (CaI), Sept. 29-At
O'Clock this morning the city was start
7ed by two explosions at the powder
works. Buildings were shaken IN the
city and the people awakened In the
direction of the works the sky was red
with thesfre that resulted from the eX-
plosion- A rush was made by pedes-
TRANS and teams to the works, as 1T
was supposed there was loss OF NE
but happily no lives were lost.
When the scene was reached, build
ings and trees and wrecked machinery
told the story of the damage that IN
few minutes had been wrought. For
half a mile in the forest was burn
ing sea, lighting up the country Tor
some distance. Eight mills were IN
ruins, including the two coming mills,
the mixing and packing houses. The
glaze mills building, in which was a
big press, besides other structures, were
In ruins less than ten minutes after
the explosion, although some distance
apart, with large trees between them.
The damage from the second explo-
sion was confined to one mill, the trees
acting as a safeguard to the other
buildings, but this morning the fire
spread with such rapidity that nothing
could stay it.
The first explosion occurred in the
drying house from some as yet un-
known cause. 1t is presumed to be
due to spontaneous combustion. No
one was in the mills, the men having
quit work at ) o'clock yesterday after
noon. On Powder Mill Flat, where
win G
broken, and men were thrown from
their beds. In this city several large
windows were broken Buildings a
hundred yards from the wrecked mills
were twisted and torn. The packing
house, in which We're stored tons Of
powder, was wrenched out of shape,
but none of the thousand sparks flying
around fell into the building. A freight
car standing on the track was torn out
of shape, the doors being blown hun
dreds of yards away.
The loss by the explosion is not as
great as was at first thought, although
while the fire was burning it looked as
If the loss would be very great. 1t is
now estimated that the loss will not
exceed $4,000. The amount of pow
der exploded was 1000 kegs, or 100000
pounds.
There is not a vestige of the coin
ing mills left. The ground where they
stood is furrowed six feet deep. A
grove of trees were burned. w. c..
Peyton, who took charge of affairs as
soon as possible, prevented the fire
from spreading to the other buildings
which contained powder by almost su-
perhuman efforts. Much of the ma
chinery can be repaired. Some of it
was obsolete. having been replaced in
other buildings with more modern ma
chinery, so that the manufacture of
powder can be resumed in a few days.
All of the windows in the residences
of Colonel B. Peyton and w. C. Peyton
which stand on a high hill, were brok-
en- The latter had a narrow escape
from being cut by falling pieces of plate
glass.
The explosion was distinctly heard in
Monterey and Pacific Grove.
II. E. Warner and Ira Kennedy had
narrow escapes. Warner was on a
tramway leading to the mills when he
saw a great flash and then heard the
report. AS he started the ground
rocked so that ne fell. When he arose
the second report came, and he fell
again. Wood and pieces of iron were
falling all around him. A billet of
wood struck him in the back. He
staggered to a f1ume and fell over it,
remaining until all danger was past.
Kennedy was struck over the eyes by
a stick.
This evening the fire is burning in the
woods on both sides of the road lead
ing to FELTON,. A force of men are
fighting it, so there is little danger of
1t spreading.
The work of rebuilding viii immedi-
ately commence, giving employment to
a large force of men. Although the
powder mills have been in existence for
over thirty years, they never expert
enced SO disastrous an explosion as
that of this morning. The suspense
among those having friends or relatives
employed at the works was terrible. In
front Of each house along the greater
part of the road to the mills were gath
cred men. women and children, who
stood with blanched faces and terror
stricken countenances as they trem-
blingly asked the latest news from the
explosion. When the first messengers
returned with the tidings that no one
had been killed, sighs of relief were
generally breathed.