The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1903-07-30
CITY THHD WV MO 9 PANIC AND
MILITIA Stk.NCNED TO
MAINTAIN ORDER.
BODIES CT VICTIMS BADLY MAHGLED
ACCIDENT DUE TO EARRING OF
DYNAMITE BY WORKMEN
LAYING A FLOOR.

warning probably upwards of score
of people and possibly more were
blown to death during the forenoon by
the explosion of the United States
Cartridge company's magazine on the
banks of the Concord river in Tewkes-
bury. three miles from the center OF
this city The number of injured is
thirty, although others were slightly
cut by glass and burned.
Ten or a dozen wooden dwellings
which stood in the vicinity of the pow
dor and dynamite storohouses were
either demolished by the explosion or
destroyed by fire and other structures
were more or less seriously damaged.
The buildings owned by the company
were two small brick structures, one
used for storing dynamite and the
other powder So powerful was the
large quantity of explosive in storage
that the shock of the concussion was
distinctly felt all over Northeastern
Massachusetts
The concussion was felt in Boston.
forty miles away, and at Exeter N. H.,
which is greater distance from the
scene OF the explosion At many points
q score of miles distant window glass
was shattered and other damage done
In some cases there were reports in
circulation that there had been an
earthquake.
The city was thrown into a panic
and it required every effort of the au
thorities to establish and maintain any
thing like order 1t became necessary
to summon four companies of the state
militia. Alarming reports to the effect
that over 100 persons had been killed
and injured caused widespread confu
sion. The explosion is thought to have
been caused by the jarring of dynamite
stored in the magazine by workmen
who were making a new floor. The
dynamite set off the powder stored il
one chamber and that explosion was
followed by another in a second cham
ber
The plant of the United States Cart
ridge company is located in district
known as Riverside Park, in Tewkes-
bury. just outside of Lowell. The
building In which the explosion oc-
Cured was q stone structure about one
and one-half miles distant from the
works of the cartridge company. With
half a dozen houses Within a hun
dred yards there are twenty houses
more and beyond that the buildings
are close together. Every structure
within a quarter Of mile was
Torn Within and Without.
Men, women and children, who were
inside of the houses, sustained cuts,
bruises and broken bones, If they es-
capped with their lives. Men who
lived in streets not far away, who were
fortunate enough to escape serious in
jury, Immediately gave themselves
over to the work of removing women
and children to places of safety, for
almost simultaneously with the explo-
sion came flashes from several build
ings. Into the flames and debris scores
Of men were soon plunging in efforts
to save life and property. The wreck
was SO complete. however, that the
work was harrowingly slow. The pa
troll wagons of the police and teams
OF all description were brought into
use to supplement the hospital ambu-
lAnces.
II was nearly noon before anything
like an accurate estimate of the num-
Der killed could be obtained. Previous
reports had been that the dead would
numbor seventy-five, but at 11:45 a
canvass at the hospitals and inquiry
at the police station resulted in con-
servative estimate of twenty-five killed
and ffty-five injured.
Sixteen victims most seriously hurt
we're taken to St. Johns hospital,
where, at noon, 1t was said that four
would die and that as many more were
desperately hurt The crowds in
creased momentarily and it seemed as
II all Lowell had suspended business
and was at the scene of the catastro-
phe.
Bodies were taken fom the ruins and
laid on the grass. Some were mangled
beyond recognition. Men and women
tainted at what they saw.
Practically the entire populace OF
South Lowell and Wigginville was
panic stricken for time after the eX-
plo6ion. Within the stricken territory
those who escaped serious injury fed
In q panic from their homes.
Before the arrival of ambulances
some OF the seriously injured were
conveyed to lighthouses along the Con
cord river. which had escaped destruc-
ton. Physicians who hurried out
from the city as the news of the dis
aster became known joined with doc
tors In Wigginsviile to make the IN
aured a comfortable as possible
~ I o'clock the number OF dead
stood ct thirteen, with nine missing
and thn number of seriously injured