The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-07-31
the building. but had not gone ten
feet when the explosion occurred.

the building, but had not gone ten
feet when the explosion occurred.
This magazine was therefore the
first to go up, followed Immediately by
the %Gunpowder in the three teams and
several seconds later by the second
magazine.
To those who heard the crash, 1t
seemed as II there we're two distinct
explosions, with a continuous roar be.
tween them. There are, however.
five holes IN the ground, which seems
to clearly indicate five explosions.
The entire catastrophe, however,
occupied the space of scarcely five
seconds, but in that time the sur
rounding property was swept as II a
small volcano had broken forth in it's
midst. Every house within 200 yards
collapsed. Trees were blown down,
the grass within 100 yards moved as
If by a lawn mower, while bricks from
the two magazines we're hurled far
across the river and all over the neigh
borhood.
Air Filled With Smoke.
For several minutes afterward the
air was completely filled with smoke
and dust, Illuminated by the glare
from the already burning houses.
The work Of rescue at once began,
but in many cases the flames had al
ready gained full sway v the
crumbled ruins and several persons
were burned to death before the de-
bris which covered them could be re-
moved.
The property is situated just over
| the Lowell line in T~ewksbury. but the
Lowell fire department did noble work
in caring for the wounded. Before a
| stream of water was started from the
engines, the hose from all the wagons
was taken out and the bodies of the
! wounded were placed in the wagons
I and hurried to the hospital. Ambu-
lances soon appeared on the scene and
1 assisted the firemen; and all sorts of
| vehicles were pressed into the service.
| Nearly fOrtv persons were taken to
the two hospitals within half an hour,
while many more whose injuries were
slight had their wounds dressed and
remained on the scene, where they
assisted in caring for the less for.u-
nate.
Crowd flinders Rescuers.
The explosion shook the city and
within half an hour there were at
least 5000 persons on the scene Of the
catastrophe. The crowd so badly
hindered the work of caring for the
wounded that the mayor sent out a
militia call. Three companies respond
ed and three hours later had thrown a
Gordon of men around the district and
cleared the nlace Of every n except
those Immediately engaged In quench-
ing the flames and searching for vic
tins.
Two hundred yards further down the
river from the second magazine the
firemen suddenly came across the
bodies of four little bows who were
about to have a swim. A fifth mem
Der of the party was in the river
when the explosion occurred, and es.
capped without injury.
Demolished a Residence.
Apparently the force from this sec
ond magazine was expended in two di
rections, north and south. On the
north it completely demolished the
house of William Riggs, about fifty
yards away. almost burying Mrs
Riggs, aud badly iniuring her litt'
son. Mrs. Riggs died before beins
taken to the hospital.
On the other side of the magazine
was a grove of trees, through which
the explosion tore a path fiftv fee
wide, for a distance of nearly go
yards. The four little boys wer'
caught in the center of this path. ant
three were instantly killed. the bod,
of one of them being frightfully mutt
lated, the head being completed.
blown off. The fourth was alive whe'
) he was discovered by the police ar
fremen, but did not long survive.
? Most of the property destroyed cor
! sisted of small buildings constructs
i Of wood. an at a comparatively sma'
: cost. The property loss. therefore
will not be heavy. The selectmen Q
the town Tewksbury believe tina
SIS, 900 will cover the entire loss.