Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-08-06

Nineteen People Are Killed at
Lowell, Mass.
A Cartridge Company's Magazines
Blown To Pieces by Dynamite
Fifty Persons Injured
Buildings Demolished
Cause oTthe Accident.

LONell, Mass, July 3O.-lWO small
gunpowder magazines, situated in the
very midst of the residences of 50
mill operatives, exploded yesterday
with frightful concussiOn and the
resultant wave of death cut off the
lives of 10 human beings and injured
nearly 80 others.
Half a dozen men who were loading
kegs of powder from one of the maga-
zines were blown to pieces, four boys
POO yards away were killed by the
force of the explosion and 1t frame
houses within a radius of 400 yards
went down as if they had been built
of cards. Seven of these houses inn
mediately caught fire, probably from
the kitchen stoves. and were COM
pletely consumed. At least three
persons were caught in the ruins and
burned to death, while seven or eight
others, who were rescued, died sub
seqUcntly Of their injuries.
1t is estimated that 70 separate
pieces of property, including those
already mentioned, were destroyed,
while the force of Ele explosion
wrecked windows for five or six miles
around, and its thunder could De
heard distinctly more than 80 miles
away.
The magazines were the property
of the United States Cartridge Co.,
of this city. but fortunately were sit
uatcd more than mile away from
the factory itself. They were built
of brick, about ten feet high, with
rounded roof Of corrugated iron.
They were constructed 30 years ago
in what was then a broad open field
on the banks Of the Concord river.
The company has for some time
been desirous of strengthening the
floor of the magazine nearest the
street and yesterday morning 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 eN-
plOsiOn occurred.
1t was long time before the actual
cause of the explosion could be as
certained. 1t was thought at first
that every one within radius OF 80
feet of the magazines had been killed,
but later it was found that Clarendon
Goodwin, the foreman of the men
who were loading the powder. had
survived, together with one of his as
sistauts. Amadee Boulanger.
Roulan@er said that the men went
down to the magazine nearest the
street to fix the floor and after the
teams had been loaded with the pow
der which was in the magazine 1t was
discovered that can of nitro-gINcer-
inc which was stored i'm the magazine
was leaking. Mr.. Goodwin picked up
what he thought was jug of water
and began pouring it onto the nitro
glvcerine with the idea of diluting it
and washing ii up. As soon as tie
fluid from the jug struck the floor HI
found that it was nitric acid. Ihe
floor at once began to smoke, and
when the men saw it they rushed
from the building, but had not gone
ten feet when the explosion oc-
Cured.
This magazine was therefore the
first to go up, followed ImmedlateIY
by the gunpowder in the three Wag-
ons. and several seconds later by the
second magazine.
To those who heard the crash it
seemed as if there were two distinct
explosions. with a continuous roar
between them. There are, however,
five holes in the ground, which seems
to clearly Indicate five explosions.
Lowell, Mass, July 31.-A long line
of hearses. moving slowly through
the streets yesterday morning was Il
pathetic reminder of Wednesdays
terrible catastrophe at WigginsviIle,
when an explosion of tons of nitro
glycerine dynamite and gunpoWder
snuffed out nearly a score OF lives
painfully injured more than double
that number of persons and scattered
half a hundred buildings over space
of several acres. The number of dead
stands at 49, but it may be increased
to p at any moment by the death of
two of the ten victims now at st.
Johns hospital.
Insurance adiustefs state that the
loss to their companies will he com
paratively light, as only the loss re
sulting from fire will fail upon them.
This will mean that many of the
houscholdcrs, nearly all of them
laboring men of small means, will
lose everything they had in the world.
The selectmen have taken steps
to help those who are suffering hard
ships Army tents will provide tenn
poraIy shelter.
\ relief fund started by the local
papers has reached the $1,000 mark.
a Legal Victory for strikers.
Chicago. July 3O.-Judge kavanagh