Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-03
Sagebrush Blaze Causes Over
One Hundred Tons tc
Explode.
NO ONE Is BADLY INJURED.
Houses All Over City, Miles from
Scene Are Shaken, While Those
Nearer Almost Demolished.

Salt Lake was badly shaken by n ter
rifle explosion yesterday afternoon. AT
first those in town were guessing as
TO what had happened. Some said
"earthquake'' while others thought
thought Fourth OF July ce,ebrators had
set off a heavy blast as q part of their
premature program.
Out north of the springs along the
railroad tracks strenuous scenes were
being enacted, A brush fire had ex-
ploded three cars OF dynamite. A car
of black powder went of first warning
the whole neigh borhood OF its danger.
The first upheavel was followed in
about ten minutes by second one
more terrific and louder. This was the
explosion which shook every building
in the city.
MUCH DAMAGE DONE.
The powder train was switched into
place yesterday to be unoaded into
Scott-Strevel's storage magazine. Es-
Inmates as 10 the amount of powder
vary widely. That it was over one
hundred tons appears to be the opinion
held by all A visit to the scene startles
one. A hole hundred yards In length
and width was torn In the ground; the
heavy steal tracks were bent and
twisted as II they were strings of soft
lead; the telegraph and telephone
wires above were broken and the poles
snapped and spintered. The cars them
selves, were nothing but piles of kind
ling and scrap iron after the second
explosion. Three trucks were left whole
enough to distinguish them as trucks.
The other heavy iron and steel por-
tions Of the cars We're reduced to frag
ments which were blown over the
ground within radius oil a mile and
a half,
NO LIVES LOST.
The accident was a most fortunate
one, inasmuch as no lives We're sacri-
feed and persons injured were not hurt
at all badly. An expressnan was
thrown from his wagon by the air cur
rents and the conclusion brought blood
squirting from his mouth. nose and
ears, Trainmen and persons within the
danger zone We're thrown to the ground
and in this manner sustained bruises
and bumps, which. while painful arc
not serious.
Owing to the presence of mind Of Mrs.
June Hunter, her husband, her ten-
year-old son and others in the vicln-
ity, trains and persons about to pass
the spot al the time of the explosion
were warned 10 stay back and In this
way in the neighborhood of 200 lives
were saved. A report had It at first
that four men were blown TO atoms but
as the men working about the cars
when the fire was discovered were
warned and fed this Is not given much
credence.
Mrs. Hunter who was one of the first
to discover the fire beneath the cars
says the train was switched into place
yesterday morning and was Standing
there during the day. AT the time it
was switched the sagebrush and under
growth along The tracks were burning.
The Hunters noticed this ana half ex-
pected the accident. The family has
hved within quarter of miia 4 tho
magazine for 90 years and has been in
constant dread that just such an affair
as happened yesterday would occur.
BRAVERY SHOWN.
The presence of mind of this AMI 9TH
er families in the face OF apparent death
Is subject Of very favorable COM
ment about town today. Knowing that
the dynamite would explode any min
ute the members OF the Hunter family,
from the father Ia the ten-year- sen,
stayed within the danger zone to keep
others rom approaching the blazing
cars. Mrs. Hunter, herself, warned
uonens ui drivers ana pedestrians ana
had word up town almost by the time
the second explosion occurred. Had
phone she first reached been in order.
sh- Id have. had word up town
VIII i've minutes after the iirst ex-
plgSion Of black powder occurred.
Thai woman, her husband ana their
little son ought to have Carnegie med
ais said one man this morning. 9th
ers deserve notice. too. Conductor
Bailey OF the Lagoon Railroad COM
pany, Mrs. Olson and Will Harris al
so showed remarkable nerve and brav-
cry. This Is by no means a complete
list of those who risked their own lives
TO save others.
Gangs are now at work repairing the
railroad tracks and it is thought this
work will b. completed by tonight. The
Lagoon management is making every
effort TO have its line repaired as
quickly as possible. The railroaders will
be ready for tomorrow's excursions.