Evening journal., 1903-07-30
TWENTY DEAD IN
POWDER EREXPL0S|0N
Nitric Acid Poured on Floor
by Mistake Causes Dis
aster at Lowell
FORTY OTHER PERSONS INJURED

of so mill operatives. exploded with /
a frightful concussion and the result |
ant wave OF death cut Oil the lives Of
p human beings and injured nearly |
90 others, six fatally. Half dozen !
men who we're loading kegs Of powder
from one of the magazines were blown |
TO pieces; four boys, 200 yards away. |
were killed by the force of the explo-
sion, and IA frame houses within a
radius of 400 yards went down as if
they had been built OF cards. Seven
of these houses Immediately caught
fire. probably from the kitchen stoves.
and were completely consumed. At
least three persons were caught in the
ruins and burned to death. while sew
en- or eight others, who were rescued,
died subsequently of their injuries
1t is estimated that 20 separate
pieces of property, including those al
ready mentioned, were destroyed,
while the force of the explosion wreck
ed windows for five or six miles
around and its thunder could be
heard more than so miles away.
The magazines were the property
of the United States Cartridge Com
pany, of this city. but fortunately were
situated more than a mile away from
the factory itself. They were built
of brick, about 10 feet high. with a
rounded roof of corrugated iron. They
were constructed some 80 years ago,
in what was then a broad open field.
on the banks of the Concord river
During the last decade small wooden
dwelling houses have gradually sprung
up in the vicinity. crowding nearer
and nearer. with fancied security to
the two innocent looking little build
ings until they almost completely sur
rounded them except on the river side,
the nearest house being scarcely so
feet away.
For several minutes afterwards the
air was completely filled with smelts,
and edpst,a iAlllJpIminateda,by the glare.
from the already burning houses. ~
One Of the magazines was just within
the roadside fence. while the other was
about a hundred feet behind it, near the
banks of the river Both magazines
ordinarily contained two or three tons
Of gunpowder in tin kegs, each keg
being about is inches high and foot
in diameter. The company has been
for some time desirous of strengthen
ing the floor of the magazine nearest
the street. and eight men, three of
them employees of the company, three
expressmen and two carpenters, were
sent there with three large express
teams to take out the powder and mend
the floor Two of the teams had been
loaded and the other was almost full
when the explosion occurred.
1t was a long time before the actual
cause Of the explosion could be ascer-
tained. Il was thought at first that
every one within radius Of 80 feethad
been killed, but later it was found that
. Clarendon Goodwin, the foreman of the
men who were loading the powder on
the teams, had survived, together with
one of his assistants, Amadee Boulan-
ger. and he was seen in the hospital
, He said that the men went down to
; the magazine nearest the street to fix
the floor, and after the teams had been
I loaded with the powder which was in
I the magazine it was discovered that O
s can Of nitroglycerine, which was stored
I in the magazine, was leaking Mr.
J. Goodwin picked up what he thought
I was a jug of water and began pouring
E it on to the nitroglycerine with the
e idea of diluting it and washing 1t up
+ As soon as the fluid from the jug strucl
& 1ff frff
}. acid. The floor at once began to smoke
e and when the men saw it they rushed
i. from the building. but had not gon'
I 10 feet when the explosion occurred.
, This magazine was. therefore. thu
D first to go up. followed immediateh
by the gunpowder in the three teams
and several seconds later by the secon'
magazine.
To those who heard the crash, j
seemed as If there We're two distinc
explosions, with a continuous roar be
tween them. There are, however, nv
holes in the ground, which seems 4
= clearly indicate five explosions.
3 The entire catastrophe, however, oe
, cupied the space of scarcely five sec
: onds, but in that time the surroundin
b property was swept as if small vol
cano had broken forth in its midsl
Every house within 200 yards col
lapsed. Trees were blown down, th
grass within 100 yards moved as If b
lawn mower, while bricks from tn
two magazines were hurled far acros
the river and all over the neighbo
hood.
The work of rescue at once begal
! but in many cases the flames had a
ready gained full sway over the crun
bled ruins and several persons wei
burned to death before the debr
which covered them could be remove
The explosion shook the city, an
within half an hour there were
= least 5000 people on the scene Of Il
% catastrophe. The crowd so badly hi
I, dered the work of caring for Il
y wounded that the mayor sent out
" militia call. Three companies respon
ed, and three hours later had throw
a Gordon of men around the distri
~ and cleared the place of every ol
n. except those Immediately engaged
n. quenching the flames and searchii
TO for victims.
he Two hundred yards further down L
yIYer frpm the second magazine t