Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-10-17

dren a. their studies, and, while none
was unlurt, there was no fatality.
mother smaller building of two rooms
used fer school purposes in Coal Bluff
was turned over and then collapsed.
The TEACHER and ninety pupils were
cut and bruised. but no one killed.
Chimneys fell from many houses be-
fore the roofs or sides gave way.
Bricks and mortar injured the fleeing
occupants. The force of the explos-
+ ions knocked over telephone poles and
pulled down the wires. This made 1t
boring towns. The telegraph wires ut
the time could be depended on only
to give the narrowest details.
Unable to Fathom Cause.
| Many people have sought to explain
the disaster, but few have been able to
tell an ineligible or coherent story.
Now and then some one will talk of
Among these was A. B. Dickson, a
conductor on the big Four" passen-
ger train which was only few miles
away from Fontanet when the explo-
sions occurred.
when the first defamation was felt"
said Mr.. Dickson, "the passengers on
I my train made a mad rush for the
doors of the cars and It was with diff
Guilty that they were prevented from
rushing off the platforms. Glass in the
windows crashed to the floor and ev-
erything was confusion on the train.
J 1.-The first evidence we had of any
disaster was a terrific explosion that
fairly lifted the cars from the tracks.
Following In quick succession was an
other explosion that was equally as
bad and then another one came which
was somewhat lighter. My first
thoughts We're that dynamite which
the railroad company had been using
=, r ,, ,ty,-
dow and could sec plainly dense clouds
of smoke caused by the explosion. The
train was stopped and we quieted the
passengers. An engine attached to a
work train was standing on side
track at Pirth, and when the explosion
occurred the engineer was knocked 10
the gronud. He was picked UP by the
other trainmen and found to be very
sick as result of the shock.
Disaster Brings Confusion.
AT the time Of the first shock we
were running at pretty good rate OF
speed and were within a quarter of a
mile of Pirth, station located five
miles from Fontanet. Everything was
confusion when we pulled up at the
, station, but all were ready to venture
a guess that it was the powder mills
: that exploded" =
"The powder plant which was de-
stroyed has been the scene Of other
, fatalities and accidents. Hardly veal
has passed without some one being
killed and occasionally the fatalities
. were more numerous. On March
. last three men were killed In the fac
!, tor and the average number killed
! during the last seven years has beer
. one each twelve months.
9 On January 20 this year in the west
: ern part of Viso county, in which
Fontanet Is situated, occurred the ter.
rfl 70 CT
. car Of powder exploded and blew vi
! an entire passenger train killing
, twenty persons and injuring half {
hundred others. Although a thorough
Investigation was made at the time. M
It definite cause was found for this dis
e aste;
h Blasts Felt Over Big Area.
t, Reports from many cities over ;
: large section of Indiana, and in Obi,
d and Kentucky, told last night of tn
: extent of the shock of the Fontane
explosions. At Charlottesville, Ind
o thirty eight miles from Fontanet, TIL
= shock cracked a brick wall and sanl
h things in a floor one inch. Windov
d panes were shattered in many of, tn
d buildings in Brazil, Ind, fifteen mile
y distant, and in Green Castle, Ind, 2
g miles away and bricks fell from chin
e news. Dispatches from Bedford. Ind
vi sixty miles away and from Louisvill
IS and Cincinnati, said that the shock
s. were felt plainly at those places. i
st Cincinnati and Louisville the shock
d were attributed at first to earth
uakes, but later were explained a
having been due to the Fontanet ex
.e plosions, as they occurred at the sam
l. time.
ir
n Chicago Poultry Market.
81 Chicago. Oct .-Poultry-Alive-
a Weaker. Turkeys. 10; chickens 8