The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-18

N ELL CITY, November lf-1ope- {" cial)-By the explosion of forty
 five cases containing 450 sticks of dynamite Pell City, situated between Bir- mingham and Anniston, on the Southern railroad, was damaged to the extent of s1O,OOO, two lives were lost and more than a dozen persons injured.
 The explosion was the result of fire which was discovered about 3:20 o'clock yesterday morning, and would have to- tally destroyed the Southern depot had the dynamite not gotten in its more rapid and deadly work while the flames were still eating away the woodwork by de- grees.
 The dead and injured have all been car ed for, four or them having been brought to Birmingham and carried to Copeland & Berry's hospital. They are Conductor John Sinclair of Avondale, En- gineer John Griffin, Judgc H. E. Spears, mayor of Pell City, and B. A. Fite, the representative of the Seaboard Air Line at Peli City.
 The following Is a list of the dead and seriously injured:
 THE DEAD.
 J. M Hall, grocer, 30 years old.
 Tom Whitfield, bricklayer. Cedartown, Ga.
 Seriously Injured.
 B. A. Fite, agent Seaboard Air Line right arm crushed, hip fractured and back sprained.
 H. B. Spears, mayor of Pell City, left arm broken.
 John Griffin, engineer Southern railroad, piece of wood driven through his body. Mclean Triton. Atlanta, arm broken and body bruised.
 John St. Clair, conductor Southern railroad, several large gashes in body from glass.
 w. A Crowley, druggist head and chest bruised and face gashed
 John Hall, grocer. ankle sprained and other bruises
 M. J. Allsabrooke policeman. ankle broken by flying timber.
 Frank Hightower baggage master Sea- board Air Line railroad, cut in face and head by glass.
 Mrs. H. A. Cornett, gashes on face and head from glass.
 Jim White, chest and stomach crushed and other bruises. J. D. conklin, grocer, cut in head ana right leg. John Burte cut in right side and bruised severely.
 M. e. seaborn, hand and arm cut by glass.
 William Hoecake negro, legs and arms hurt by flying timbers.
 Ella HawleY, negro, face cut py glass and bruised by flying timbers.
 Dynamite on Platform.
 The dynamite was on the platform at
 o,,H r1t1T Der of people were engaged in moving 1t to A place of safety, when the explosion came The fire was discovered about S:2O o'clock yesterday morning by M. c. Roop, who is in charge of the depot at night. He raised an alarm and in short time there, were about 200 people gathered around the place moving the merchandise from the depot. There was fully $o0OO worth of property under the roof of the depot and standing on the platforms. When it became known there was dyn- amite in the boxes, G. w. Pratt, presi- dent of the Pell City cotton mills, warned the people to stand back, and number took his advice and were saved
 J. M Hall. the man who was afterward killed, stated that dynamite would only .shzzle'' and not explode when burned. He had barely said this when the ex- plosion came, hurling him 40 feet and causing injuries which resulted in his death a short time afterwards. A piece of flying timber struck him on the forehead, completing scalping him and cutting a V shaped wound through his skull. Tom Whitfield, the other victim was struck in the same manner. He was standing some distance from the depot and was considered out oI danger. The other people injured were either struck by timbers at the depot or broken glass was hurled against them while they stood in the windows of the various build ings near The windows in every building at Pell City were demolished; the new $3200 hotel is completely wrecked and will have to be torn down and rebuilt: and even the court house, which is 200 yards from the depot is damaged to the amount of $500 It was just completed and had not been turned over to the county.
 List of Losses.
 A partial list O. the losses is as follows: New hotel $3200.
 Furniture of same. $500 to $lOO0
 Furniture in c. W. Pratt's room in the hotel, $400.
 w. F. LeFiles & Sons buildings, $500 for plate glass windows.
 A. Crowley, drug store, s100 to building and S400 to stock.
 Zelmer & Spears store s2OO for win oows.
 s. T. Kilgore, general merchandise $500. $500.
 Depot and contents including dynamite. s5OO0.
 The depot at Pell City is situated be- tween the tracks of the Southern and the East and West railroad. a portion of the Seaboard Air Line. It was about 2Ox15 feet and was packed with mer- chandise of all kinds which has been brought to the city since the new cotton mill was commenced. At the time 1t con- tained a quantity of feed stuff, a large number of cans of milk and spools and other equipment for the mills These things were hurled In all directions. fol- lowed by debris of all kinds There were several freight cars on the tracks on either side of the depot, but those closest were moved by the citizens and the train crews of freight train No. s0'