New-York tribune., 1906-09-22
John
Jameson
Three Xxx Star
WhiSkey
DYNAMITE RUINS TOWN
SCORE DEAD; MANY HURT.
ErpIosiue Laden Cars Target for
Pistol Shooters?

JeiIico Tenn. Sept 21.-The business dis
tr1ct Of this town was wiped out to-day and a
score OF persons were killed fatally injured
by the detonation of carload OF dynamite IN
the yards of the Louisville & Nashville Rail-
road. Nearly 200 other persons were injured.
while five hundred more have been made home
less. The damage to property will amount to
more than s1.000000.
The explosion occurred about one hundred
yards north Of the railroad station in the heart
of the business district. Every warehouse was
destroyed every store was wrecked. and the
greater part of the town demolished.
The only dynamite explosions that can be re-
called equalling this one in magnitude was the
one several years ago in Chihuahua. when sew
eral hundred cases wiped out a village of eighty
seven persons There was also the explosion when
practically the same amount OF dynamite ex-
ploded did here in a railroad car at Vestal.
N. Y, rattling windows in Binghamton. ten
miles away. and throwing everybody out OF bed
within a radius OF five miles.
Locally it is the most serious disaster in
the history of the East Tennessee mining district
since the terrible explosion I'm the Fraterville
mines in 1902. when 1S4 miners. men and boys.
lost their lives in a coal mine near Coal Creek.
less than twenty miles from here.
The identified dead thus far are:
ATKINS George. telephone Ineman.
COOK, John inspector Southern Railway.
COOK. . OF John Cook
FELLERs Joseph. engineer OF Louisville & Nashville
GORDON John. Negro porter
HOCHMA, John clerk.
LOyELLE. William. twelve years old.
RAYNE. Ida. three years old
REYNOLDS. James merchant
RODGERS. Walter clerk in local storehouse.
SELLERS. Joseph. trainman.
SHARP. James Negro laborer.
Six other bodies have been found. but they
are so mutilated as TO render Identification hope
less In addition 10 those known TO be dead
there were at least half dozen railroad and
warehouse employees near the centre OF the
''feathered radius" dynamite men call the
vacuum caused by the detonation of the explo-
sive, who were literally blown to atoms and Of
whom probably never a trace will be found
After the first shock OF the fearful disaster
the Town Council called upon Governor Cox to
send company Of state militia from Knoxville
TO do guard duty here. Immediately after doing
this the inquest over such Of the dead as had
been found was begun.
Mayor r. B. Baird issued an order TO the
public that all persons found on the streets after
o'clock tonight would be arrested unless they
were owners OF buildings or stocks of goods or
agents therefor.
Surprising evidence was adduced at the IN
quest Ol ScNctdl cAhplOS ScS
and laborers showed that the detonation was
caused by three men shooting at mark on the
cars with their revolvers. If this be true. the
marksmen were probably caught within the
''feathered radius and annihilated
other witnesses I'm the hurried examination
said that while the car was standing on the sid
ing a carload of pig iron "sidewiped" II. and
the impact caused the detonatiOn.
The car contained $50 cases. weighing 10000
pounds OF the explosive, consigned TO Clearfield.
Tenn.
The union station of the Louisville & Nash
Vile, and OF the Southern Railway is-Or
about hundred yards from the car. When the
detonation sucked the air away from about the
structure the pressure Of the air from within
burst the walls outward. like exploding fire.
cracker. The same thing happened TO all the
other structures within the radius of the
vacuum.
Jellico is exactly on the line between Kentucky
and Tennessee. The explosion occurred the
Kentucky side OF the line. every building in
that part of the town being demolished. FrOb-
ably a sixth OF the people living here are home
less. Where the stood there is a great pit
in the earth. thirty feet deep and fully fifty in
diameter.
All the telephone wires the Kentucky side
of the town are down. One Of the freak features
OF the explosion was the partial wrecktng of the
Inn. the principal hotel here, The
entire third story of the hotel big brick struct-
ure was blown off. being torn loose from the
rest OF the structure though done by gtgan-
tic scythe. The lower part of the building was
practically unintured
Another big hotel. the Glenmangan. was
wrecked Mark Atkins. who was asleep In a
room on the third floor Of the Carmathian at
the time is one OF the fatally injured.
Relief trains are being hurried here from sew
eraI points. officials Of both the Southern Rail-
way ana the Louisville & Nashville reached here
at noon on special trains. bringing with them
several physicians. nurses and newspaper men