The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-10
BOULDER WRECKED
City Is Shattered by an Ex-
plOsiOn of Dynamite.
Caused by a Fire in the COlora-
do Southern Depot.
A HUNDRED INJURED.
Hundreds of Spectators Knocked
Down by the Shock.
Nearly Every Pane Of Glass in
Town Is Shattered.
A LOSS OF S25O,OOO.
Heroic Action of Firemen and a
Train Crew
Probably Prevented a Much
More Sermons nisasfoV.
Hundreds of Spectators Knocked
Down by the Shock.
Nearly Every Pane of Glass in
Town Is Shattered.
! Loss OF ss5O,OOO.
Heroic Action Of Firemen and a
Train Crew
Probably Prevented a Much
More Serious Disaster.

Boulder, Col, Aug. 1o.-F1re, originate
Ing from an unknown cause, in the
western end of the Colorado & South
| ern freight depot at / o'clock this
morning, destroyed the depot with a
vast quantity of freight in half an
| nour, and spreading a distance of 100
feet, enveloped a powder house con-
tanning 1000 pounds of dynamite, which
exploded with a tremendous shock.
throwing fremen and hundreds OF
| spectators to the ground fatally in
Juring two men and breaking the plate
glass in every business house in town
as well as the windows In hundreds OF
residences. The loss is estimated at
| $25O,0Oo. The fire was reported under
| control at 800 o'clock
The Boulder police report that 100
persons were injured by the explosion.
and that IS are being cared for in the
hospitals
The following were fatally injured:
Roy Lafavre, volunteer fireman.
Ike o. Wilson. volunteer fireman,
Boulder.
Among the others injured are:
Jack Livingstone, Denver. machin-
list; blown so feet against the side of
building, three ribs broken. clothes
burned off.
Edward Cook. side and arms badly
Alexander spartell. blacksmith;
clothes burned off; badly burned about
the body.
Erbie Miller, carpenter; badly hurt
by falling timbers.
Family named Ramsey living in a
small house near the station; house
wrecked over their heads; four mem
bers of family badly injured.
Small Blaze at First
When the alarm was first turned in.
only a small blaze was visible at the
west end of the depot The firemen.
handicapped by low pressure, fought
bravely, in utter Ignorance that half a
ton of explosives was stored within 100
feet of the burning building. No warn
ing was given, and when the sheet
iron shack split open with a dull roar,
the men manning the hose and who
were within a distance of 100 yards
were hurled to the ground. Roy La
favre and Wilson, who were nearest the
house were frightfully mangled. La
favre's left leg was blown off above
the knee. Wilson, a cripple with an
away and the wooden limb shattered
and fragments of it driven into his
body.
Across the street from the freight
depot a big two-story brick ware
house had great cracks riven in its
walls and its roof blown off.
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
spBnters 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 merca ntile establishments
to prevent looting.
Scarcely had the eddyir smoke
from the explosion drifted away than
a band of volunteers rushed into the
powder house, and. fighting their way
through the choking mist and flame,
located several kegs of giant powder
which had failed to explode and which
they carried out in their arms to safe
place.
On a side track at the platform OF
the burning depot was car contain
ing eight tons of dynamite. Despite
the fact that cinders were falling on It's
roof and that little flickers of fame
were apparent on its walls switching
crew backed down and coupled to the
car. and while the brake
man beat out the sparks, the engine
pulled the car two miles into the
country, where 1t was left on a side
track.
The Boulder clubs weekly reception
had just been ended and many men
and women were standing on the side
walk waiting for their carriages when
the explosion occurred. About nifty
women were blown of their feet.
A brick house occupied by ]. J. Nc
Cabe, half a block from the freight
house, was totally wrecked.
All the windows in the University
building were blown out and the plas-
ter fell from the walls and ceilings of
the main building. Windows in sew
eral4 houses on University Hill, a mile
and a half from the scene of the ex-
plosion, were shattered.
Thirty freight cars were completely
destroyed, with their contents. consist
ing of valuable merchandise.
The fact that dangerous explosives
were stored SO near the depot. and that
few persons were aware of the fact,
will be made the subject Of rigid in
uuiry by the city authorities. Railway
officials explain that the storage was
only temporary, pending shipment to
the mines.
OF Incendiary Origin.
Denver, Col, Aug. 10.-"We have
proof that the fire in the depot of the
Colorado & Southern at Boulder last
night was of incendiary origin" said
Vice President A. d. Parker of the
Colorado & Southern railroad today.
THE miscreants may not have looked
for the awful results that followed
through the explosion OF the dyna-
mite, but upon their heads the blame
Of the catastrophe must rest. VIII
not say whom we suspect"