The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-30
SCORE SLAIN
 BY EXPLOSION Gun Powder Magazines
 Blown Up. THE SHOCK IS FEARFUL
Houses Within Radius of 400 Yards Wrecked.
Foreman Pours Nitric Acid, Think ing it is Water, on Nitro Glyce- rine, and the Fire Which Fol
 lows Causes Catastrophe.

Lowell. Mass, July 29.-Two small gun powder magazines situated in the midst of the cottages of fifty mill operatives, exploded today, killing more than score and injuring nearly fifty persons. Half 8 dozen men who were loading kegs of powder from one of the magazines. were blown to pieces, four boys. 200 yards away, were killed by the concussion and fourteen frame houses within a radius of 800 yards, went down as though they had been built of cards. Seven of these houses immediately caught fire from over turned stoves, and burned. At least three persons were caught in the ruins of the houses and burned to death. while seven or eight others who were taken from the fire. died subsequently of their injuries.
 In all seventy buildings were destroyed while windows for five or six miles around were pulverized. The report could be heard distinctly more than fifty miles away.
 The known dead: George Finn, John McMasters. Louis E. Richards James B. Grady. all employed by the United States Cartridge Co.,; James B. Sullivan, Charles Moore, J. L. Rolleau, all employed by the tSanley Forwarding Company: Gilbert McDermott. 10 years old; Michael Mo Dermott, 12 years old; Thomas Houligan, il years old; Joseph Houligan, 10 years old; William Galloway, Robert Galloway, Robert Galloway, Jr., Alfred Le Brune, Mrs. Catherine Riggs Eddie Roberts George A. McDermott, years old; Jose phine erusz, Zephriam Perusz, unidenti- fled man.
 Four persons are missing. two carpen- ters and John Riggs and Patrick Spencer.
 The Fatally Injured,
 Fatally injured: Amadee Boulanger. Cartridge Company; Mrs. Howard Bur kett, Miss McDermott, Eliza Galloway, Clara Supernau. .--.
 The magazines were the property of the United States Cartridge Company of Low ell. They were built of brick. about ten feet high, with a rounded roof of corru- gated iron. They were constructed some thirty years ago in what was then a broad open field, on the banks of the Concord river. During the last decade small wooden houses have sprung up In the vicinity, crowdins near to the two magazines until they surrounded them. except on the river side. The nearest house was scarcely fifty feet from the powder depot.
 One of the magazines was just within the roadside fence. while the other was A hundred feet behind it near the bank of the river.
 Roth magazines ordinarily contained two or three tons of gunpowder in tin kegs, each keg being about IS inches high and a foot in diameter. The company has for some time been desirous Of strengthening the floor of the magazine nearest the street and this morning three employees of the company, three express men and two carpenters were sent there with three wagons to take out the powder and mend the floor. Two of the trucks were loaded when the explosion occurred.
 Nitric Acid on Nitro Glycerine.
 Clarendon Goodwin. foreman of the men who were loading the powder and his assistant. Amadee Boulanger escaped death, although within fifty feet of the magazine. Boulanger was injured and taken to a hospital. He said the men went down to the magazine, nearest the street to fix the floor and after two wagons had been loaded with powder il was discovered that a can of nitro- Rlycerine, which was stored in the maga- zine was leaking. MT. Goodwin picked up what he thought was jug of water and began to pour it on to the nitro-gly- cerIne with the idea of diluting 1t and washing it up. As soon as the fluid from the jug struck the floor he found that it was nitric acid. The floor at once began to smoke and when the men saw 1t they rushed from the building. but had not gone ten feet when the explosion occurred.
 This magazine was followed immediate lv by the gunpowder in the wagons and several seconds later by the second magazine The entire catastrophe occur red the in space scorcely five seconds but in that time the surrounding property was swept as if a small volcano had belched forth Every house within 2OC yards collapsed.
 Grass Mown Down.
 Trees were blown down, the grass with. in in hundred yards was moved as if bS a lawn mower while bricks from the tive magazines were hurled far across thC river and all over the neighborhood. Fol several minutes afterwards the air wa; filled with smoke and dust Illuminated by the glare from the already burning debris
 The work of rescue began at once, bu in many cases the flames had already gained full sway over the crumbled ruin: and several persons were burned to deatf before the wreckage which covered then could be removed The property i' situated just over the Lowell line 1T Tewksbury, but the Lowell fire depart ment aided In caring for the wounded Before a stream of water was started from the engines, the hose from all thu wagons was taken out and the bodies o the wounded were placed in the wagon. and hurried to the hospital. Ambulance: soon appeared and assisted the iremer and all sorts of vehicles were pressed into service Nearly forty persons were taker to the two hospitals within half an houl while many more whose injuries were slight had their wounds dressed and re uained to assist in caring for the lesi fortunate,
 Town of Lowell Shaken.
 The explosion shook Lowell and within half an hour there were at least 5000 per sons on the scene of the catastrophe. I'm crowd so hindered the work that thu Mayor sent out a militia call. Thre companies responded and three hour later had thrown a cordon of men around the disaster and cleared the place O