Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1907-08-17
TERRIBLEEXPLOS|ON
BOULDER, COLORADO, POWDER
MAGAZINE CAUGHT AFIRE.
Three People Killed and rs Injured
While Property Damage VIII Be
Over Quarter Of a Million. Denot
Had Caught Fire and Spread to
Powder House.

Boulder, Col, Aug. 11.-Ffre origin.
ating from an unknown cause in tho
western end of the Colorado g. Sontb-
ern freight depot Saturday mornino
destroyed the depot, with a vast oman,
tity of freight, in half an hour. and,
spreading distance Of 100 feet envo1-
oped powder house containing 1oOo
pounds of dynamite, which exploded
with tremendous shock, throwing
firemen and hundreds of spectators to
the ground, fatally injuring two men
and breaking the plate glass In every
business house in town, as well as in
hundreds of residences.
The loss is estimated at $3.50 600
The Boulder police report that 100
persons were injured by the explosion
and that 20 are being cared for in hos.
pitfalls.
The following were fatally Injured.
Roy La Favre, volunteer fireman.
Boulder; Ike o. Wilson, volunteer.
fireman, Boulder.
When the alarm was first turned in
only small blaze was visible in the
west end of the depot The firemen
handicapped by low pressure. fougbt
bravely, in utter ignorance that half a
ton of explosives was stored within
lO0 feet of the burning building. No
warning was given. and when the
sheetiron shack split open and with
rear every person within a radius of
loo yards was hurled to the ground.
Roy La F'avre and Ike Wilson, who
were nearest the storehouse, were
frightfully mangled. LaFavres left
leg was blown off above the knee.
Wilson, cripple with an artificial leg.
had his right leg blown away and the
wooden limb shattered, and fragments
OF it driven into his body.
Across the street from the freight
depot big two-story brick warehouse
had great cracks driven in the walls.
and its roof blown on
Several shacks along the tracks oc-
cupied by squatters were reduced to
splinters.{
In the business section of the city
great sheets of heavy glass fell in
splinters on the sidewalk. following
the explosion. Not a pane of glass is
left in the center of the city. Guards
OF armed men were thrown about the
banks and mercantile establishments
to prevent looting.
Scarcely had the smoke from the ex-
plosion drifted away when a band of
volunteers rushed into the powder
house and, fighting their way through
the choking mist and flames, located
several kegs of giant powder which
had failed to explode and which were
carried to safe place.
On side track at the platform of
the burning depot stood a car con-
tanning eight tons OF dynamite. Des-
plte the fact that cinders were falling
on its roof and that little flickers of
flame were apparent on its walls. a
switching crew backed down and
coupled to the smoldering car, and
while the brakeman beat out the
sparks the engine hauled the car two
miles into the country, where it was
left on side track.
All the windows in the university
building were blown out and the plas-
ter fell from the walls and ceilings of
the main building Thirty cars we're
completely destroyed with their con-
tents, consisting of valuable goods.
The fact that dangerous explosives
were stored so ear the depot, and
mat few persons were aware of the
fact. will be made the subject of a
rigid inquiry by the city authorities.
hallway officials explain that the stor-
age was only temporary, pending ship
ment to the mines
Claims Fire Was lncendiary.
we have proof that the fire in the
depot of the Colorado & Southern at
Boulder was of incendiary origin" said
vice President A. d. Parker of the Col
orado & Southern. "The miscreants
may not have looked for the awful re-
suits that followed through the explo-
$40 OF the dynamite, but upon their
heads the blame of the catastrophe
must rest. will not say whom sus-
pect
Victims Reach Five.
The four men arrested on suspicion
OF having been implicated in starting
the ire are still held in Jail. One more
death, that of Albert Weeks, laundry
employe, brings the total up to five.