Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-08-01

Score or More Killed and ManY In
jured In Destruction Of q
Magazine.
TIE FATAL ACCIDENT occurs
At SOUTH LOWELL, nASS.
City Of Lowell In Thrown Into q
Panfc-Troops Necessary to Re-
store Order-List Of the Dead and
Injured.

70 >eAS ~~~~- ~-N
Injured.
Lowell. Mass. July 30.-Without
warning and in the tWinkling of an eye
probably upwards of score of persons
and possibly more we're blown to death
"wednesday forenoon by an explosion
Of the United States Cartridge Co. s
magazine on the banks of the Concord
river, in South Lowell. three miles from
the center of the city. The number of
injured is 80, although others were
slightly cut by glass and burned. At
two p. M, the list of dead stood at Is,
with nine missing.
Ten or dozen wooden dwellings
which stood in the vicinity of the pow
der and dynamite storehouses were
either demolished by the explosion or
destroyed by fire and 20 other structures
were more or less seriously damaged.
The financial loss. exclusive of that sus-
tanned by the cartridge company, is
roughly estimated at $40 900 only small
part of which is protected by insurance.
Cause Of Explosion.
The explosion was caused by work.
men who were employed about the
storehouses for several days. The build
1ngs 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 conclusion was distinctly felt all
over northeastern Massachusetts,. In
Lowell many windows were demolished
and at points Is miles distant glass was
also shattered.
The conclusion was felt in Boston, 40
miles away. and at Exeter, N. H., which
is greater distance from Lowell. At
many points a 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.
List of Killed and Injured.
The following are among the dead:
Mrs. William Riggs, of Riverside Park;
James Galloway, aged 8; William Flyn.
IL; William McDermott, 10; Michael
Rogers, 10, all boys who were swim
ming in the Concord river Unknown
man, driving grocery cart; William
Galloway, - Poore, Lowell.
Six bodies of men working near the
powder storehouse were recovered. It
was some time before they could be
identified, SO badly were they disfgured.
Fatally injured: John B. Sullivan,
Mrs. Victoria Perrouse, Gallagher
little girD; - McDermott (11-year-old
girD; - Sullivan. teamster for Stanley
Transfer company, badly injured:
right arm amputated at hospital; not
expected to live.
John B. Sullivan died in the afternoon.
Two Of the six unidentified dead have
been identified as Charles Moore and
teamster named Hoteau. Both men
were employed by the Stanley Trucking
company and were about to move pow
der when the explosion occurred.
George MeDermott, four years old,
and man named Jackson have also
died of their injuries.
Bodies were taken from the ruins and
laid on the grass. Some were mangled
beyond recognition. Men and women
tainted at what they saw.
City i'm a Panic.
= The city was thrown into a panic
and it required every effort Of the au-
thorities to establish and maintain any
thing like order. It 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 eonfu-
sion. The explosion is thought to have
been caused by the jaxring OF dynamite
stored In the magazine by workmen who
were laying new aoor. The dynamite
set off the powder stored in one cham
Der and that eKplosion was followed by
another in q second chamber.
Not a Building Left.
The building in which the explosion
occurred was stone structure about ~
miles distant from the works of the car
fridge company. Within 4 distance Of
so yards are located half q dozen
houses. Within 4 hundred yards there
are 20 houses moro and beyond that
the buildings arc very close together
Every structure within a quarter of a
mile was torn within and without. Men
and women and children who were in
side 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 for
tunate enough to escape serious injur-
les, Immediately gave themselves over
to the work of removing the women sud
children to places Of safety. for almost
simultaneously with tho explosion came
flashes from several buildings. Into
the flames and debris scores Of men were
soon plunging in efforts to save Mfe and
property. The wreck was 20 complete,
however. that the work was narrowing
~ slow. The patrol wagons Of the po-
1ice and teams Of IL descriptions were
Z Brought into use to supplement the hos
pitai ambulances. 1t was nearly noon.
before anything Ike an accurate esti-
mate Of the number killed could be OBJ
tanned. Previous reports had said that
fha lead would T1Iirn1hor TX Sh,,H ~ -. *;