Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-21
ALEX ANDRIA AFFAIRS
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION STARTLES
RESIDENTS OF FRANCONIA.
The Defamation Heard Seven Miles
Away-No One Injured-Gen-
eral and Personal.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
ALEXANDRIA, Va, May 81, 1904.
A terrific explosion, which shook the
houses for miles in the vicinity, occurred
about 1:30 o'clock this morning In the camp
of Lane Bros. & Jones, contractors, en-
gagged In the work of double tracking the
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac
road, at Franconia, seven miles below TINS
CITY, The defamation was distinctly hearo
in this CITY, and a shock was communicated
which awakened people all over town. Ike
ports were circulated here this morning 10
the effect that several employees of the COM
pany had been killed.
There were no fatalities, however, but the
escape from death of one man was marvei-
GUS This person, whose name could not De
learned in Alexandria, had occasion TO go
to the shed connected with the camp where
a large quantity of gasoline and dynamite
was stored He carried lighted lamp and
on entering the flame ignited the gasoline
which f1ared up all around him. He fmme-
diately made dash for the door, but not
moment too soon, for he had scarcely
reached safe distance from the shed pc
fore the dynamite went off with a mighty
explosion. The small building was, or
course, reduced to splinters, and the ground
all around was torn up but no other dam
age was done, as the rest of the houses OF
the camp were some distance on
not known, but 1t was large enough to make
one of the greatest explosions ever heard
in Fairfax county.
Prizes at Reading Contest.
: The annual reading contest of the Epis-
copal High School took place last night be-
fore a large audience in Lggett Hall.
There were twelve contestants, and the
prizes were awarded as follows: First
prize, Mr. e. Henry Powell of Milton, VT;
second prize. Mr.. Churchill ]. Gibson of
Richmond, Va. The following were the
judges: DR.. Robert NJ Slaughter. Rev. T.
G. Faulkner, M. A; c. G. Chamberlayne,
B. A.; w. H. Meyers, B. A, and w. L.
Kinsolving, M. A.
Mr.. Hulfish Will Not Contest.
Mr.. Worth Hulfsh. who was one of the
candidates of the Citizens Progressive AS
ISOLATION for the board of aldermen from
the third ward, has announced that he
will not enter his name for the general
election The democratic committee barred
Mr.. Hulfish from participation in the re-
cent primary the ground that he was
republican, though the members of the as
ISOLATION claimed that he voted the demo-
cratic ticket on local issues. 1t was said
that he would contest in the general cleo
ton, June a. but Mr.. Hulfsh has issued a
card denying this.
Charged With Poisoning Wife.
In the police court this morning Justice
Cation presiding. George Washington, col
ored, was up on the charge of attempting
to poison his wife. The latter stated that
she was awakened in the night time by a
sense of suffocation, and at once recognized
the smell of chloroform In the morning
she accused her husband of attempting to
take her life. but the latter declared that
he had been using the drug for the alrevia-
ton of some of his own bodily pains. This
statement was accepted by the court and
the charge was dismissed.
General and Personal
. Dr. and Mrs. D. N. Rust have issued
cards for the marriage of their daughter,
Miss Susan Kent Rust, to Rev. H. b. Lee,
jr The ceremony will take place in Eman-
uel Chapel, Episcopal Theological Semi
nary near this city, at O'Clock the even
ing of Wednesday, June 8.
Katherine X. Wallace, daughter of the
late w. ]. and Josephine F. Wallace and
Mr. Francis A. Hughes, all of Washington.
were quietly married yesterday morning in
the parsonage of St. Mary's Catholic
performed the ceremony.
special sermon to railroad men will be
preached tomorrow afternoon at o'clock
in the Methodist Episcopal Church South
by Rev. J. P. Stump, the pastor.
Mr. Morris Stanley Cummings died early
this morning at his residence, on Cameron
street A daughter survives him. The ar
rangements for the funeral VIII be made
later.