The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1907-08-15
EXPLOSIONS KILL
IN Three CITIES
STRANGE COINCIDENCE OF Ac.
clDENTs WHICH CAUSE DEATHS
AND INJURY.
NlTRO-GLYCERlNE AND
POWDER CAUSE v
Detroit, Boulder, Col, and Ridgeway,
Pa, Suffer Similar Catastrophes,
Which Kill and Main People, and
Blow Many Buildings to Atoms.

Boulder, Col, Aug. 12.-Fire that
started at one o'clock Saturday morn
ing in the Colorado & Southern freight
depot here destroyed the depot with
a vast quantity of freight and spread
ing a distance of 100 feet enveloped
a powder house containing 1000
pounds Of dynamite, which exploded
with tremendous shock, injuring per-
haps 100 persons and breaking the
plate glass in every business house in
the city as well as that in hundreds of
residences. 1t is believed that two of
the injured will die. The property
loss is estimated at s250,000. The fire
originated from some unknown cause
and is believed to be incendiary. It
was placed under control at $3.50 a. m.
Injured Taken to Hospitals.
twenty-five of the injured were tax
en- to local hospitals. The others were
either removed to their homes or were
able to go there themselves.
When the alarm was first turned in
only a small blaze "a visible at the
west end of the depot. The firemen,
handicapped by low pressure Of water,
fought bravely, in utter ignorance that
half a ton of explosives was stored
nearby. No warning was given and
when the sheet iron stack containing
the dynamite split open with a dull
roar, the men manning the hose and
every person within a radius of 100
yards were hurled to the ground.
Detroit Explosion Kills Two.
Detroit, Mich, Aug. 1.-TWO men
were killed, three more probably ia
tally injured and scores of people
were slightly hurt by the explosion
of half a car Of nitro-glycerine at the
Michigan Central railroad station at
Essex, Ontario, II miles inland, from
the Detroit river Saturday. Practical
ly every building in the little town of
$500 people was injured, many of
them being blown to pieces. The
J shock of the explosion was plainly felt
for 20 miles around Essex. 1t Vas so
heavy in this city that windows were
broken in a Jefferson avenue automo-
bile garage.
The dead: Brakeman Joseph Nc
Nary, of Amherstburg, Ontario; Brake
man Leo Conlon, of Amherstburg, On
tario.
Everything for a radius of 300 yards
from the depot is in ruins. The car
containing the nitro-glycerine was
side-tracked Friday night near the
freight shed to be taken to-day to a
quarry at Amherstburg, Ontario, by
the plug train which operates on the
Amherstburg branch of the road. The
train was being made up to-day when,
it is said, Brakeman McNary discov-
cred that the nitro-glycerine was leak
ing in the car. He started to open it
apd stop the leak when without warn
ing the explosion occurred.
With a shock that was felt for 20
miles the explosion let go tearing the
new stone depot to pieces, destroying
the freight sheds and nearby cottages;
leveling Green's elevator beside the
tracks, and smashing Laing &
Ritchie's. mill like kindling. The en-
CINE and tender of the train with the
other cars were reduced to scrap iron
and where they stood there was only
a hole 20 feet deep and so feet across.
Panic reigned in the little town as
glass cracked and houses and build.
ings quivered under the shock and
then gave way in part or entirely.
Physicians from nearby towns hur
ried to Essex and helped dress the
wounds of the injured. The financial
loss will probably be about 100000
Hardly a building in the place escaped
severe damage.
Still Another Explosion.
Ridgeway, Pa, Aug. 12.-Five train
men were injured here by the explo
sion Of what is believed to have been
nit%ro-glycerine dropped or thrown by
a man who was put off a Pennsylvania
railroad freight train The injured
are in a hospital here. The man who
had the explosive vas injured and is
in Jail here. He was discovered rid
ing on the freight train before II
reached Ridgeway and was, according
to the crew, apparently under the in
fuonco Of 1in1,Or