Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-10
DYNAMITE, DEATH
AND DESTRUCTION
Little Town of Essex, Ont,
Almost Wiped Out.
BIG BLAST AT BOULDER, COL
Thousand Pounds of Death Dust Does
$25o,ooo Damage.
MANY ACTS OF HEROIsM
BIG BLAST AT BOULDER. COL
MANY ACTS OF HEROISM
Eight Tons of Explosives in FLAMING
Freight Car Rescued From
Burning Station.

"iiu oSStl uStIOH TO-DAY,
nearly wiping out Essex, Ont, and
Boulder, Col. At Essex. a half car
OF nitro, intended for use in blasting
at the lime kilns at the mouth of the
Detroit river, exploded without
warning, killing two, fatally iniuring
three, wounding scores of others
more or less seriously and causing
$4,000 damage. Dynamite did the
damage at Boulder, 1000 pounds of
the stuff exploding as the result of
fire in the Colorado and Southern
freight depot. Eight tons of dvna-
mite on flaming freight car, side
tracked by the burning building,
were run out in safety through the
herolsm of railroad men and vol,,n-
teers. At Boulder several persons
were killed, more than 100 injured
and the damage done amounts to a
quarter of million.
BOULDER, Col, August 1O.-Fire that
started early today in the Colorado and
Southern freight depot here DESTROYED the
depot with vast quantity Of freight and
spreading distance Of 100 feet. envelonad
powder house containing 1000 pounds of
dynamite, which exploded with tremendous
shoek, 1njuring perhaps 100 persons and
breaking the plate glass in every business
house in the city as well as the windows
In hundreds Of residences It Is believed
that two Of the injured will die. The propertv
loss is estimated at $4,000 The fire is
believed to have been incendiary.
twenty-five of the injured were taken to
hospitals. The others were removed to
their homes. The fatally injured are Row
La Favre and Ike o. Wilson, both yolun-
teer flremen of Boulder
Came Without Warning.
when the alarm was first turned in only
a small blaze was visible at the west end
of the depot. The firemen handicapned nv
low pressure of water, fought bravely, in
utter ignorance that half a ton of explo-
sives were stored nearby No warning was
given and when the sheet iron shack con-
tanning the dynamite split open with a dull
roar the men manning the hose and every
person within radius of 100 yards was
hurled to the ground.
La Favre and Wilson, who were nearest
the storehouse, were frightfully mangled.
La Favre's legs We're blown off above the
knee. Wilson, cripple, with an artificial
leg. had his other leg blown away. The
wooden limb also was shattered and frag-
ments Of it were driven into his body.
Across the street from the freight depot
big two-story brick warehouse had great
cracks driven in its walls and it's roof
blown off,
City Scene Of Ruin.
In the business section plate glass win
dows fell in splinters ON the sidewalk
following the explosion. Not whole pane
Of glass remains In the center of the city,
Guards of armed men were thrown about
the banks and mercantile establishments to
prevent footing.
Scarcely had the eddying smoke from
the explosion drafted away than a band of
volunteers rushed into the powder house
and, fighting their way through the chok-
ing mist and flames. located several kegs
of giant powder which had failed to ex-
plode and which they carried out in their
arms to a safe place.
On a side track at the platform of the
burning depot stood car containing eight
tons of dynamite. Despite the fact that
cinders were falling on it's roof and that
little flickers of flame were apparent on
its walls, a switching crew backed down
and coupled to the smolde-ing car and
while the brakeman beak out the sparks
the engine pulled the car two miles into
the country, where it was left a side
track
Rigid Inquiry to Follow.
The Boulder clubs weekly reception had
just been ended and many men and women
were standing on the sidewalk a few blocks
away waiting for their carriages. A half
hundred Of them were blown off their feet
by the force Of the explosion.
All the windows in the University build
ing, a mile and a half distant, were blown
out, and the plaster fell from the walls
and ceilings Of the main building.
Thirty freight cars were completely de-
stroyed with their contents Of valuable
merchandise.
The fact that dangerous explosives were
stored so near the depot, and that few per-
sons were aware of the fact will be made
the subject of a rigid inquiry by the city
authorities. Railway officials explain that
the storage was only temporary pending
shipment to the mines.