Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-06-20
POWDER EXPLOSION.
Twenty-Five Thousand Pounds Does
Some Damage.
Bel0N6eD TO GRANT BROS.


dent arc as iouows, taken from the
Prescott Herald
Last night about 10 o'clock one of
the most disastrous wrecks since the
Santa Fe. Prescott a Phoenix was
built, took place a mile south of Glen.
dale ten miles north Of Phoenix. and
was caused by an explosion OF rs 900
pounds Of blasting powder, consigned
II Grant Bros. contractors. The dam.
age 10 the railroad company runs mp
into the thousands OF dollars, fully
covered by insurance.
While the train. which was No. g.
Southbound. was running along about
mile beyond Glendale. the train crew
Noticed that the car Of powder was
burning. The train was stopped i'm
odiately and Brakeman Ardle went in
between the burning car and the next
freight car with the intention OF cut
ting the burning car out. He was Just
pulling the pin when the powder ex-
, oded How he ever escaped instant
death will always be a mystery. While
the cars on each side of the powder
car were literally blown to pieces.
Ardle walked back from the field
where he had been blown aud began
TO assist in saving property.
Eight cars Of freight were more or
less damaged, -four cars and contents.
car OF powder. car Of merchandise. car
of spikes and one car OF coal were
blown TO pieces and the pieces burn.
cd in the fire which started immediate.
~ after the explosion. 4 car OF rail.
road stationery was blown TO pieces.
together with a car 81 coal and two of
ties, making a total Of eight cars
wrecked four Totally destroyed. The
explosion wrecked part of the mcchin.
cry Of the locomotive and the fire
burned the wood work OF the cab.
Probably the engine was damaged to
the extent Of $1,000.
Several passengers were In the ca.
bCose when the explosion occurred
hut no one was seriously injured. Con
cuctor Wallin who was in the caboose.
rushing ont and took charge of the
work saving all the property possible
for the company. with the assistance
of the balance Of the train crew and
residents Of Glendale, who had hurried
TO the scene, the conductor uncoupled
and pushed out of the way several cars
which had not been blown from the
rails. Had they not pushed the cars
away the entire train would have been
consumed in the fire which destroyed
four cars.
A man named Sharp, Charles Akers
and Judge Baker. who were sitting on
the caboose. were slightly injured.
Engineer Chambers was quite pain.
fully injured about the head and
shoulders Fireman Tom Ship had
his hearing temporarily destroyed. He
did not even hear the explosion so
great was the jar TO his ear-drums.
The explosion was heard in Phoenix,
where the shock was also very dis.
tinct Some people thought there
had been an earthquake: some thought
the world was coming to an end and
some thought different things. The
railroad people surmised the truth and
Immediately began TO get train ready
TO go TO the scene. Medical assistance
was taken along. When the special
arrived at the scene the people on II
were surprised TO find that no one had
ben killed in the explosion. They found
wreckage scattered for several hun.
dred yards on every side 4 hole had
been blown in the roadbed eight feet
deep and eighty feet In length. Tele.
phone poles were torn up and blown
10 pieces.
The news OF the wreck was wired
10 Prescott and Messrs. Anewalt En-.
inert and Story went down on the
evening passenger train. which wa.
several hours late. Today traffic has
not been seriously delayed for pas.
sengers express and mail were trans
fered al the wreck. The track Is prob.
ably laid by now over the place where
the disaster occurred as the officials
OF the Santa Fe & Pacific are very ac-
tive when the interests OF the road
are involved.
They Cannot Hear.
The injuries OF Engineer Chambers,
Fireman Ship and Brakeman McArdle
who were hurt in the explosion near
Glendale on Friday night have not i'm.
proved says the Phoenix Republican.
The hearing Of all OF them is found to
be affected and il Is supposed that
their ear drums were ruptured. on
the night OF the explosion neither the
brakeman nor the engineer noticed
anything wrong with their hearing but
trouble has been developed since. The
fireman. though was quite deaf that