The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1900-04-13
ONE GIRL Los1HERsELF
IN AwILD BRIAR PATCH.

Clarksburg was thrown into astate oil
widest commotion at the dead hour
of 1:2O O'Clock, Tuesday night, by the
oudest explosion ever heard In TINS
community and one that created ter
ror in the heartsof all who heard 1t. A
spell Of mystery relgned for quite
while. Bold bank robbers were sup
posed to be in our midst with their
deadly dynamite. Business citizens
and officers rushed forth to solve the
mystery, but the ensuing stiffness
supreme baflled them and they we're
at bay. A gas explosion 1t was then
thought to be, but that theory proved
tallacious. Every business house was
intact, every public building stood
firm, every hotel was regular and the
city generally was in a normal state.
No mass of ruins, no fearful pile OF
.debre's, no frighttul holocaust present.
ed itself to view to solve the mystery.
Not untila reflective mind remember
ed the Spanish cannon, the famousgun
captured by Admiral Dewey at
Manila and loaned the city by the
United States government, was there
aplausible Theory. 1t proved correct.
The big gun had been fired. Bywhom
no one knows. For what purpose no
one dares to say. And how Is not
clearly ascertained. This man has his
theory, that man has another. But
it was low Spanish trick, whatever
the intent. A grave crime deserving
speedy and heavy punishment.
The conclusion was so great that IL
was heard two miles distant and
shook the very foundations of res
licences half a mile away. Madam
Elizabeth Dowds mansion, so impos-
ing in its solitude, standing directly
below the knollw where the gun was
stationed, received the full force OF
the conclusion and became. fragile
beneath its power. The window
panes all through the house were
literally pulverized: the window sash
we're blasted into splinters: the front
double door was torn from its hinges
and the lock broken into smithereens.
The slate roof was lifted from its
Judgements about inches and the
house quaked from top to bottom.
One woman says she was knocked out
ofbed. Another states that she stag
CARED against the wall and saved her
self from fall. There were four girls
in the building and several men,
mostly eut-of. town guests. The crash
was so tremendous, the shock so severe
and sudden. the density of the smoke
so great that the inmates we're
frightened almost to insanity and
rushed pell-mell through windows and
doors, some in their night robes, some
barefoot and some almost nude.
They trampled unNlnchingly over the
broken glass and with bleeding feet
made their escape to the country
round about. One girl became lost,
but when called she cried out. Here
am in this briar patch" Trembling
sue UlLlluIy LSUuAucu OhAy A"''y
assured of her personal saftiy.
OF this notorious resort, the spirit
Of reform lately lnfesting the city
would not say with the poet.
"These deep solitudes and awful cells
Where heavenly pensive contempla-
tion dwels.''
? And yet it would be base to lnti-
mate that good government hadany-
thing TO do with 1t, and great In
Justice to ascribe the deed to any OF
our citizens, good, bad or Indifferent
The inmates claim that the house has
been threatened several times and
that can of nitroglycerine was found
several days ago under the veranda.
The one in charge says two men,
whose actions were very suspicious,
were there the fatal evening from s
o'clock up to the time of the explo-
sion. One of these went out Of the
front door and the other out ofthe
rear. They were gone few moments
and upon their return told those In
side that sparks and fire were being
emitted from the cannon. These