Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-30
Over Score Dead--About Fifty Injured
Scores Of Buildings Damaged.
Man Poured Water on Nitric Acid in
Mistake for Nitro-GIycerine.

| holes in the ground, which seems to
! clearly indicate five explosions.
The entire catastrophe however. oc-
cupied the space of scarcely five sec
onds, but in that time the surround
ing property was swept as if a small
Mont Pelee had broken forth Every
house within 200 yards collapsed. Trees
We're blown down, the grass within 100
yards moved to the ground, while
bricks from the two magazines were
far across the river.
For minutes afterwards, the air was
filled with smoke and dust, illuminated
by the glare from the burning houses.
Those who survived hurried from the
scene, only to be recalled by the shrieks
of those less fortunate. The work of
rescue at once began, but in many
cases the flames had already gained
sway over the crumbling ruins and de-
spite the energetic efforts of those who
We're not seriously hurt, several per-
sons were burned to death before the
| debris which covered them could be
removed.
| The property is situated just over
the Lowell line in Tewksbury, but the
Lowell fire department at once re-
sponded and did good work in caring
! for the wounded. A stream was start
ed from the engines, the hose from al
the wagons was flung to the ground
and the bleeding bodies of the wounded
We're placed in the wagons and hurried
to the hospital.
Ambulances soon appeared and all
| sorts of vehicles were pressed into SER
| vice. Nearly two score of persons
| We're conveyed to the two hospitals
within half an hour, while many more
who suffered merely from slight cuts
| by flying glass, had their wounds
| bound up and remained on the scene,
where they assisted in caring for he
| less fortunate.
The thunder of the explosion shook
/ the city and drew a tremendous crowd
| to the scene. Within half an hour,
| there We're at least 5000 people pushing
and crowding over the scene of de-
| struction, hindering the work of car
| ing for the wounded, so that the acting
mayor of Lowell sent out a call for the
militia to assist the local police.
| Three companies, two of the 9Th Reg
| iment and one of the 9TH responded
| around the entire district and cleared
| the place of every one except thos who
| could be of service.
| When the firemen first arrived imme-
| diately after the explosion, con fusion
| raigned. Many We're rushing about
| bleeding from wounds. others We're ly-
ing on the ground, frightfully mutt
| lated. while the shrieks of frantic
women and half crazed men in their en-
deavor to regain their lost ones We're
| agOnizing in the extreme. Those houses
| farther away from the scene of the dis
aster We're hastily called upon to fur
nish mattresses and bedding for the
| seriously wounded.
After the wounded had been cared
| for and the dead removed to under
| taking rooms, the work of searching
| for fragmentary remains of victims
was begun. A hundred yards away
was boys heart, not far off was the
| shoulder, evidently of the same body
while bits of human flesh and small
pieces of bone We're picked up in all
parts of the field, and placed in baskets.
Two hundred yards further down the
| river from the second magazine the
! firemen discovered the bodies of four
little boys. who had been just about to
! have swim. A fifth member of the
party was in the river when the explo-
sion occurred and escaped injury, APP
| parently the force from the second
magazine was expanded in two direc-
| tons, north and south.
On the north it completely demolished
the house of VIM. Riggs, about so yards
away, almost burying Mrs. Riggs and
| badly injuring her little son. Mrs.
Riggs was subsequently removed, but
| died before she could be taken to the
| hospital
On the other side of the magazine
was grove of trees, through which
| the explosion tore a path so feet wide
| Tor distance of nearly 300 yards.
The four boys were caught in the
| center of this path and they were in
stantly killed. The bodies of one of
| them was frightfully mutilated. the
mead being completely blown off. The
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