Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-30
BLOWN TO ATOMS.
Continued from page -


fourth was alive when discovered oy
the police and firemen, but dld not
long survive his injuries.
1t was a long time before the actual
cause of the explosion could be ascer-
tanned. Mr.. Goodwin, the foreman OF
the men who were loading the powder
on the teams, together with one OF mis-
assistants, Amadee Boulanger sur
vived, and, this afternoon, the latter
was seen in the hospital.
He said that the men went down 10
the magazine nearest the street to NIX
the moor and after the teams haa been
loaded with the powder which was IN
the magazine, it was discovered that
can of nitro-glycerine stored III the
magazine was leaking. Mr.. Goodwin
picked up what he thought was Jug
of water and began pouring it on the
nitro-glycerine with the ldea OF olul-
ing it and washing it up. AS soon DIS
the fluid from the jug struck the 1oor
he found that it was nitric acld. Inc
floor at once began to smoke ana the
men rushed from the building. ihey
had not gone 10 feet when the eAllo-
sion occurred. A brick was blown
completely through the body Of Bou-
hanger.
The explosion of the first magazine
extended to the gunpoWder IN the three
wagons and they in turn passed on TO
the second magazine on the river Dank.
Hence the five holes in the ground.
Charles Hame passed by the two mag
azires five minutes before the disaster
lie heard one of the men in the magazine
say: BE careful of that keg.' lie pass
ed on to his house and had just got
around to the back yard when the eX-
plosion occurred. He was blown ~ 1eet
but escaped serious injury. His house was
completely demolished and his wife and
child severely but not dangerously wound
ed. He managed to get them out of the
ruins. Soon after the debris caught fire
from another house and everything was
destroyed.
There were number of thrilling es-
capes. The main line of the southern di-
vision of the Boston &, Maine road cross
es a bridge within 200 yards of the mag
azine on the river bank.
The train from the north was due on
this bridge at the time the explosion oc-
Cured, butts fortunately was delayed
about mileup the track by a slight &C
cident Another train nearer the scene
was lifted completely from the rails. but
settled back again without damage.
Most of the property which was de-
stroyed consisted of small buildings con-
structed of wood and at comparatively
small cost. The property loss will there
fore be rather small, probably about $75,-
900.
The town of Tewksbury may make an
appeal for relief funds as more than 20
families were made homeless.
The following statement was given
out by the United States Cartridge Co.,
this afternoon:
THE lands on which the powder
magazines were situated, was owned
one half by the Nichols and Fletcher
estate and one half by the United
States Cartridge Co. There were two
brick magazines, one owned by the
Cartridge Co, in which none of our
powder was stored and another that
was owned, two-thirds by our company
and one-third by the estate of Nichols
and Fletcher. 1t was built in 1875 at
time when there We're no buildings in
the vicinity.
I'VE understand that the American
Powder Co. was using the part of the
magazine belonging to the Nichols and
Fletcher estate. under what agreement
we do not know. In that part of the
building dynamite has been stored for
some time and recently we discovered
that some of the nitro glycerine had
leaked out of the dynamite boxes and
was visible in n streak on the floor
under the open section between the
two sections of the magazine.
I'VE brought the matter at once to
the attention of the Thompson Hard
ware Co.. assuming at the time that
they We're the occupants, and were re-
ferred to the American Powder Co, to
whom we Immediately explained the
situation and the danger that it ms
involve. We asked that it be remedied
at once and they concluded to relay
the floor. and later they made arrange
ments with the Cartridge Co. to fur
nish men for the carpenter work and
men and teams for the removal of the
powder at the expense of the powder
company. They We're to remove their
dynamite at the same time and were
to furnish their own teams for that
purpose.
"Our powder had all been removed and
was loaded on three of George f. Stan
ley's drays when the explosion occurred.
The other teams had not arrived We
had 10 of our own men there and Mr..
Stanley had three. There were probably
one or more men in the magazine when
the dynamite exploded. As to the inmc-
date cause of the explosion We have no
knowledge. We know that the first expo
sion was in the dynamite magazine. for
smoke was seen issuing from the build
Wing and one of the men was heard to
shout Run The men were in the act of
running when the magazine blew w, pre-
sumably causing the explosion of the
| loaded wagons and the second powder
| house"
THEY SAW 1T.