The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-09
SCORES IN TOWN
PAINFULLY HURT
Ten Big Buildings Entirely De-
stroyed and Heavy Damage
Done.
PASSENGER TRAIN
Is ALMOST DERAILED
Explosion Heard Fifteen Miles
Away, Windows Broken Sew
en- Miles Away.

Connellsville, Pa, Sept. with a
report that could be heard for fifteen
miles, the Rand powder works at Fair
chance, Pa, six miles east of Union
town, Pa, blew up today, causing. it
is believed. more than thirty deaths.
! Twelve bodies had been removed from
the ruins at: l o'clock. -
Scores of people in the town of Fair
chance were painfully injured. Not a
vestlge Of the ten buildings that made
up the Zig powder works remains stand
ing. The debris caught fire and two
| cars of dynamite that could not be re-
moved from the vicinity of the ruins
were Yer momentarily expected to, explode.
Thousands, of people rushed to the
hour after it happened. Uniontown
sent hundreds Of conveyances. The
people returned panicstricken, fearful
of another explosion of the dynamite
| in the cars.
| Cause Of Disaster.
The explosion occurred in car Of
powder and was followed few mo-
ments later by another and heavier
one, when the flames ignited the large
magazine.
The concussion of the second explo-
sion was so great that telephone, tele-
graph and trolley wires were blown
down, interrupting all communication
with the scene of the catastrophe.
/ Persons within a radius of fifteen
miles heard the explosion and, knew
that the powder works had been blown
up. Every vehicle in the surrounding
country was pressed into service and
hundreds of people were soon gathered
about the ruins aiding in the work of
rescuing.
i The bodies were burned almost be-
yond recognition. Manager Rand OF
the Rand Powder works was seriously
hurt, and was taken to his home at
Uniontown, Pa.
Passengers in Peril.
A passenger train on the Baltimore
& Ohio railroad, which was passing the
works when the first explosion occurred,
, was almost thrown from the track by
| dows and caused a panic among the
, passengers, several of whom were in
, jured by flying glass; Opposite the
, powder works the tracks Of the Penn
!, sylvania and Baltimore & Ohio rail
/ roads were destroyed.
l For mile around Fairchance, build
Eirgs have been wrecked, and at Union
;, town, Pa, seven miles from the explo-
sion, hundreds of windows have been
broken. A large skylight in the court
house at Uniontown was smashed, and
there was a panic among the occupants
to escape from the building.
Damage was done, at Connellsville,
Mount Pleasant and Scottdale, and in
hundreds Of homes the dishes fell from
Z the cupboards and pictures were thrown
from the walls.
: Scene of Horror.
The scene in the neighborhood of
! the powder plant was one of horror
: The debris was strewn for great dis
lance and pieces of human bodies were
among the wreckage. Large holes were
made in the ground by the force OF
the explosion.
Ray Hevner, who was in the kegshoI
when the explosion occurred, escaped
!, and says that he heard the loud report
and the first thing he. knew the key:
/ of powder from the floor above hin
:, began to roll down and missiles flew il
L the air. Hevner and two others raI
: out and escaped, but Elmer Hughes
u who was also there, was killed. Hevnel
: thinks the first explosion was in thu
+ packhouse.