Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1905-09-01
CALIFORNIA EXPLOSION

Kills Mrs. MacRae and Son,
Injuries Oscar Duclos
and Mr.. MacRae
o. DuclOs received q telegram
Thursday evening last week convey.
ing the awful intelligence that his
son Oscar, and the wife cf his part
ner, Mrs. A. W. MacRae. with her
son George, had been killed In a
mine explosion in California, and
that Mr.. MacRae was badly injured.
A later telegram from Cyprien DUO
los, at Bakers6ed, Cal. = brought news
that Oscar was not killed, but was
badly Injured. Further advices con-
irmed this. making 1t evident that
Mr.. MacRse and Oscar Duolos had
escaped with their lives. The news Of
the terrible affair was received with
great sorrow in Little Falls, where all
the parties are we'll known.
Below will be found accounts of the
affair from the San Francisco Chroni-
Gle, Los Angeles Examiner, and Bak-
ersfieldl Echo. It appears from the re-
ports that Mrs. MacRae was engaged
in handing a package of explosive to
her husband, and slipped and fell, or,
as stated in the Examiner. that a
rabbit ran by her feet and startled
her, and she let the package fall. The
explosion instantly killed the unfort-
unate woman and her boy, and in
jared Mr.. MacRae, Oscar Duclos and
q boy who was near. Mr.. MacRae and
Mr.. Duolos owned and operated a
mine about eight miles from Paris,
and eighty miles from Bakersfield.
Mr.. ana Mrs. MacRse lived in Little
Falls for several years, Mr.. MacRae
conducting music store. Mrs. Mac.
Rae was Miss Oglevy Of Superior.
During his stay here Mr.. MacRae lost
an arm through hunting accident.
The MacRses had many friends here,
and allswho knew them will strongly
feel the misfortune which takes away
the good wife and mother and her
only child. The boy who was killed
was years of age.
The Los Angeles Exam aminer of Aug
ust 25th has the following:
The MacRaes are we'll known
throughout Southern California. They
came to Bakersfield several years ago
from Minnesota. Mr.. MacRae has
htsa< iden ti6ed with mining enter,
prises and started smelter, which
was abandoned after brief period of
operation, because of lack of capital
Mrs. MacRae was an accomplished
musician and she and her husband
were prominent in social affairs of
Bakersfield.
Mr.. Duclos was associated with Mr..
MacRae In mining in the Amalie dis
trict.
The scene of the tragedy is fifty
miles from. Bakersfield. up in the
mountains. The MacRaes have been
making their home in Amalie. This
morning the family, accompanied by
Mr.. Duclos and the Los Angeles
youth. left home with camping out
fits, intending to enjoy a few days.
outing. Mr.. MacRae and Mr. Duclos,
being miners, took along box of dy-
Mantle sticks 80 that they might com
bine business with pleasure and blast
few out groupings of ore while they
were away.
Mr.. MacRae carried the explosive
the greater part Of the time, but in
stopping to examine piece of "hoat'
alongside the road, passed the box to
his wife to hold. 1t was after he had
remounted his horse and called her to
hand the boz ever to him that the &C.
cident occurred.
While in the act of placing the box
in his hands a rabbit ran across the
road in front of her horse. The horse
jumped to one side and the box
slipped from her hands.
Little George, who was unmounted,
was standing near the horses head, 80
that both he and his mother were in
the center Of the force of the explo-
sion. That the father was not also
blown into pieces is considered mir
aculous
The horse which Mr.. MacRae rode
was instantly killed and Mr. MacRae
was thrown distance of thirty feet.
There was hole eighteen feet square
cut In the mountain road.
The accident happened shortly after
/ o'clock and the scene being in an
isolated district. the injured were
without medical attendance until even
ing. when DR.. Carson reached there
after making the journey from Bak-
ere6eld to Caliente in an automobile
and from there on horseback. Coron-
er Mullins left tonight to make an
Investigation and hold an inquest to-
morrow.
following are extracts from the
Bakersfield Morning Echo of August
25th:
Mrs. MacRae was literally blown
limb from limb, and her head, which
was completely severed from her
body, lodged in the top of q bush
many feet from where she had been
standing.
Her little son, who was standing
by her side, was instantly killed, his
body was mangled. but was not dis.
M. MacRae vaa blown from HIS