Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-04-26
BLOWN To atoms.
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION IN A GER
MAN POWDER FACTORY.
HUNDREDS OF LIVES ARE LOST
Many Children Thrown Into the River
by the Explosion and Drowned Be-
fore Help Reaches Them-A Night
of Horrors-Firemen Work in Con-
slant Danger-Driven From Homes.
(Ry Associated Press.)


Frankfort. Germany, April 26.-One of
the most destructive explosions of mod
ern times occurred in the smokeless pow
der department of the electro -chemica!
works at Greisheim last evening.
Most of the boilers exploded and over
a ton of the powerful smokeless powder
added to the fury of the explosion. The
noise was so tremendous that 1t was
heard at great distances including
Frankfort and Mayence. The factory
became a mass of flames Immediately
and a northeast wind carried the sparks
to neghboring villages. where severed
houses We're set on fire.
Only after five hours of strenuous eff
fort was the conf'agration to some eX-
tent controlled and the danger passed
so as to make it possible to begin the
work of extricating the bodies. 1t is
feared that nearly 200 persons have been
killed or injured. but this cannot be de-
termined until the list of employees of
the chemical works can be compared
with the survivors,
The flames apparently originated by
the blowing up of watts of chemicals in
the explosive department in the works
al o'clock this afternoon. They spread
with frightful speed to the adjacent
buildings and then over the river Main
to Schwanheim. When a second ex-
plosion took place the fumes and masses
of burning chemicals made it impos-
sibe to stay in the vicinity.
Recovering the Bodies.
BY II o'clock this morning eighty
bodies had been recovered from the de-
bris. but there are still many missing
About $50 persons were injured, many
of them seriously The work of fight
two no 40, u OH no
entire night, though the danger of fur
ther explosions was regarded as averted
at midnight. The search of the ruins
continues. The scenes which occurred
throughout the night We're most Distress
ing. Villagers and survivors were CROP
ing about the ruins in search of rela-
tives and comrades and endeavorng to
recognize in the charred bodies or dis
membered and mutilated corpses the
identity of missing friends.
The flames Quilted Marx and Mueller's
chemical factory and part OF the Greis-
helm color works.
A number of children who were hurled
by the explosion into the River" Main
We're drowned before the rescuers could
reach them. Several firemen are among
the victims. A special train with relief
f1remen and special doctors and nurses
We're sent to the scene of the disaster
feared had persisted, reported themselves
this morning.
Benzine Tank Explodes.
At noon there was a fresh outbreak
of the flames among the ruins a Greis-
helm, which revived apprehension, and
after the explosion of a great benzine
reservoir a II o'clock this morning. or
ders were issued that every one in the
village of Greisheim and it's v1NtNH y
must vacate their premises forthwith.
The inhabitants fed. panic-stricken with
such possessions as they could hastily
collect. most Of them going to Frank
fort. Even the firemen, salvagers and
soldiers left the scene of the disaster.
The railroad service to Greisheim is
SUSPENDED on account of danger.
1t transpres that during the panic this
morning a number of women and chill
dren were thrown down and tramped
under foot.
The danger of fresh explosions neces-
sarily retards the drawing up of cor
rect death roll, but the latest reports
do not indicate that this is so large a:
was at first reported.