The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-07-30
CATASTROPHE IN LOWELL
SCORE OF LIVES WIPED OUT BY
 EXPLOSION.
About Fifty Others Ipjarsd-Haif . Dozen men Flown to Pisess-Pour Boys Two Hundred Yards Away Killed So Great Was the Concussion.

Lowell, Mass, July 29.-Two small gunpowder magazines situated in the very midst of the humble residences of fifty mill operatives, mostly of French extraction, exploded to-day with a frightful concussion, and the resultant wave of death cut off the lives of more than a score of human beings and in- jured nearly fifty others. Half dozen men who were loading kegs of powder from one of the magazines were blown to pieces, four boys two hundred yards away were killed by the force of the explosion, and fourteen frame houses within radius of four hundred yards went down as If they had been built of cards. Seven of these houses immedi- ately 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 seven or eight others, who were rescued. died subsequently, of their injuries.
 It is estimated that seventy separate pieces of property, including those al- ready mentioned, were destroyed, while the force of the explosion wrecked win- dows for five or six miles around, and it's thunder could be heard distinctly more than fifty miles away.
 The following is the list of those known to have been killed in the explo- sion:
 George Flynn, John McMasters, Louis E. Richards, James l.. Grady, all em- ployed by the United States Cartridge company; James B. Sullivan, Charles Stanley Forwarding company; Gilbert McDermott ten years; Michael McDer- mott, twelve years; Thomas Houligan. eleven years; Joseph Houligan, ten years; William Galloway, Robert Gal loway, son of above; Alfred Lebrun, Mrs. Catherine Riggs, Edward Rogers, George A. McDermott, four years old; Josephine Perusse, eleven years old; Mrs. Victoria Perusse, zephraim Per usse Nhe nine last named were killed by the fall of their houses or burned to death), unknown man.
 Four persons are missing two car penters. names unknown; John Riggs and Patrick Spencer.
 Those fatally injured: Amadee Bou- langer, eighteen years; Clarendon Goodwin, sixty years, both employees of the cartridge company; Mrs. Edward Burkett, Miss McDermott, Eliza Gal loway, Clara superna.
 The magazines were the property of the United States Cartridge company of this city, but fortunately were situated more than a mile away from the fac- tory itself Each was built of brick, about ten feet high, with a rounded roof of corrugated 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 dwelling houses have gradually sprung up in the vicinity, crowding nearer and nearer with fancied security to the two inno- cent looking little buildings until they almost completely surrounded them, except on the river side, the nearest house being scarcely fifty feet away. One of the magazines was just with in the roadside fence. while the other was about a hundred feet behind 1t near the banks of the river. Both mag azines ordinarily contained two or three tons of gunpowder in tin kegs, each keg being about eighteen inches high and a foot in diameter. The conn