The herald., 1898-07-20

| In some instances these had to be picked
up with shovels. Fourteen freight cars
were blown to splinters and several were
| burned Windows were broken in Oak
| land, Alameda and as far as Berkeley.
| One of the most thrilling stories of the
fatality is that told by Fred Sheriff of
Oakland, whose escape was simply marvel
Gus.
ct went out there last night with Charlie
White, as we were friends, and frequent
| ly went with him in the discharge of his
duties" said Mr.. Sheriff to Tribune re-
porter.
with the other Deputy Sheriff. we kept
as close to the powder house as we thought
advisable. Occasionally one of us would go
toward the door and assure the Chinese
that we would not hurt him If he came
cut. The fellow would invariably reply
that he would blow up the place If we at
tempted to take him. Late last night he
repeated his threat SO often that the people
around there believed he would do It, and
many of them moved out of their homes
Had they not done so they would now be
dead, for their homes are scattered over
many acres.
Before midnight the Chinese shouted to
for a drink of water. 1 did not approve CT
his being given anything. but Charley
White permitted Chinese to carry him 4
glass of water.
"Billey Moffit, who was also out there,
proposed that the water be doped as the
easiest way to effect the arres: Charley
did not approve of THIS and said that he did
not believe 1t would be long before the fell
low would surrender. We hung around all
night and just at daybreak Charley White
sent Chinese to tell the fellow to come
out He would not do so, but shortly after
5 o'clock he told us he would walk out and
give us no more trouble.
"'Come out Charley, and we will not
hurt you said White to the Chinese, and
the fellow said he would do so.
"As soon as the fellow made his appear.
ance at the door of the place Charley White
and Kochs walked toward him to make
the arrest. Ed White and followed them
about eighty feet behind. They were al
| most to the door when Gung closed 1t with
| a bang.
LESS than a second later was being car
ried with a ton of debris and earth swiftly
over the ground. My face was cut and my
clothes torn, and I cannot understand how
Ii. happened that I and Ed White were not
killed, as some of those killed were further
away that we were.
II have no doubt that as soon as the door
was closed Gung fired his pistol into the
powder. This fact, however, must forever
remain in doubt, as I did not hear pistol
shot or the explosion. This is not surpris-
ing, however, for there would not be much
of an interval after the shot was fired.
| When I picked myself up and looked
around everything was on fire. 1 at once
started to search for the remains of those
whom I knew must have been sacrificed
and the first thing found was an arm OF
poor Charlie. This was fully two hundred
| feet from where he was standing when the
| explosion occurred.
Little by little we found other frag-
ments, but undoubtedly much of the re-
mains were consumed by fire.
Five minutes later everything was
on fire, including train of box cars. II
may be weeks before I shall recover from
the frightful shock received"
Sheriff. and Ed White are complete ner-
vous wrecks. They were carried over forty
feet by the force of the explosion and
thrown Violently to the ground.
President Edward G. Lukens Of the
Western Fuse and Explosives Company
was early at the scene of the explosion
In an interview with an Oakland Tribune
reporter he said:
Il was informed last evening that a wil6
Chinese had slowed himself in our powder
magazine, being pursued by five deput,
sheriffs, who wanted him for attempt a,
murder upon a fellow-countryman The,
said he had pistol. as well as matches and
l IL