The San Francisco call., 1906-08-20

" dead. another is so badly injured
that he cannot recover and
fourth is missing as the result Of
an explosion this morning in the Stim-
NELL powder-h house, situated a hall
mile distant from the town Thirty
two thousand pounds of giant powder
were exploded, wrecking the powder
house and tearing up fully 1000 feet OF
the rails of the Yreka branch railroad.
The windows in every building In
Yreka were shattered, and the report
of the explosion was heard at ShoVei
Creek, thirty miles distant.
The dead
JESSE CRAWFORD, aged 16 years.
CARL sCHMITT, aged IA years
1t is not known what caused the explo-
sion. but 1t is believed to have been due
to carelessness on the part OF the VIC
Tins Schmitt, Crawford and Bert Hol-
land, who is aged IL years were shoot
Ing with rifles in the vicinity OF the
magazine and it is believed that one
of the bullets passed through ven
tilator and caused the explosion.
BOYS SHOOT AT MAGAZINE.
J. d. Fairchild, who was about two
blocks away from the powder-house.
says that he saw Schmitt, CRAWFORD.
Holland and fourth boy whom he did
not recognize shooting in that vicinity.
They did not appear to realize their
danger, and before he could warn them
to cease firing there was deafening
report. and the earth trembled violent
ly. A cloud of dust rose up from where
the magazine stood. and when 1t had
cleared away a hole fifteen feet deep
marked the former location or the
powder house.
Two other powder houses adjoining
the one destroyed escaped with slight
damage.
When Fairchild reached the scene
he found young Holland lying uncon-
scious on the ground. His head and
face were frightfully cut and lacerated,
and there was deep cash on his
shoulder where he had been struck by
flying fragment of stone from pow
house. His companions bodies
had been blown to bits.
TOWN BADLY DAMAGED
Holland was given every possible
medical attention, but the doctors at
tending him hold out no hope for his
recovery. Unless he RECEIVERS conscious
ness 1t Is likely that 1t never Will be
known what caused the explosion.
The town of Yreka was badly dam
aged by the explosion. The plate glass
windows in the bank were shattered as
If they were egg shells, and scarcely a
pane of glass was left intact In the
town. The residences, high schools and
courthouse were considerably dam
aged.
PEOPLE PANIC-sTRICKEN.
The residents of the city, with the
fate of Valparaiso fresh in their minds,
ran from their homes panic stricken,
believing that they We're being tossed
about by an earthquake. 1t was not
until after news of the explosion
reached town that they quieted down
and returned TO their dwellings.
Fearing that fire might follow, as
many chimneys were broken and top
pied over by the concussion, the Mayor
issued an order that no fire be lighted
In the dwellings until after the CHM
neys have been inspected.
An idea of the terrific force Of the
explosion is given by the experience
of e. N Stevenson, who was riding In
a buggy more than a mile away from
the magazine. He was thrown out of
his rig and painfully bruised, and his
horse was knocked to the ground.
Small bits of railroad track and
rock were hurled to Hawkinsyille. two
miles away, and piece Of boulder was
sent crashing through the roof of
Charles Herzog's home in this city,
although the dwelling Is nearly mile
distant from the scene of the explosion.
DIR. O. b. Spalding and wife, who are
we'll known in San Francisco, passed
the powderhouse less than five min
utes before the explosion. They saw
the boys shooting, but did not appreci-
ate the danger