The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-12-31
TELLS Of
PANAMA
DYNAMITE.
EXPLOSION.


ent in Panama, known to al young peO
pie OF this city, has in his budget this
time a splendid description OF the & ieat
dynamite disaster on the isthmus, be
ing 500 feet distant when the expi sion
occurred
Bas Obispo. Canal Zone. Panama
Dec 90: ! can not describe the awful
scene ghicl your wires have long ago
mentioned when the dynamite disaster
occurred ! had passed through the
cut aud was some 500 feet beyond the
danger line have seen men cut to
pieces when on Dad construct n
work and presumed they were as aw
ful as could be, but nothing ever saw
equaled the indesoribable ruin winch
followed the disaster here Of Decem
Der 12t1
Fnty-two holes had been driven iifty
feet into the solid rock formation
Each was fifteen feet apart and en-
lained $50 pounds OF A. degree dyna-
mite. Thirty men We're working there
when the explosion occurred. Quite
body of men were passing through
the cut enroute TO dinner mess.
Following the defamation which fel
ed men and trees and threw rocks, dii
and miscellane ua umterlals into III
air. accompanied by a smoke so dense
sou could not see your hands fel
for a moment That The earth had peen
destroyed. Spaniards and Jamaica ne
sroes were lying all aruond, some mei
cifuly killed. others torn aud maus.ed
rmtil strong-hearted men lad { tnri
heir heads as the poor fellows wer'
put on stretchers for The Anc1n h0a
pltal.
The Bas Obispa hospital doctor anl
nurses cared for the wounded as tas
SIS they could. and. seemingly instaa
laneous so ptrfect Is discipline-the
Anc- n STAFF or surgeons and nurse
IN a special tra.n arrived and TOOL
| charge The hospital train was loadee
after Immediate aid was rendered and
tae sufferers were soon in what is pei
haps :he best hospital in the Tropic
zone. II Is oporgted by the govern
ment and one could not conceive th
vast am amt OF articles all ready fos
use without seeing ihem.
Awful Wreckage.
One steam shovel near the work wa
So completely destroyed no particle ci
| Il was found larger than your tw
hands. The engineer was an Amer
can and four negroes were with min
Only pieces We're found. Four stean
shoyels We're put 81 work 10 eXcayat,
for the dead and bodies are being found
eaca day Only those who have been
in Uncle Sans service can understand
| how vel and how fast our country
~ -es for SIS injured
The sanitary officials keep the seen
1f me disaster disinfected as the Udor
FROM the decaying b dies and debris
is almost beyond endurance. SO far
ltwenty-one have been found OF the dead
and fifty-nine were injured, but Others
are not accounted for (Slnce this was
written the death list has mounted to
33.-EdD, ana perhaps some OF them
are under that awful place.
TIE accident broke q wn strong men
and none seem TO have the vim since
the event that was Characteristic q
the entire crew previously
Officials have made the most siren
nous investigation. and IL seems one OF
those catastlophies no one can foresec
or ay id. The government employs the
most experienced men and has the
best OF equipment and investigation
has borne out the first opinion prema
ture explosion.
Baseball Teams Ready.
The baseball season is on here aud
We have more than two good clubs
Seas tickets are $40 each and box
tickets run higher. Grounds tor bal
and tennis and all outdoor sports are
| 10 be had for the asking When you
have done the government day s
work you are at liberty TO enjoy any
conf RI 10 be had But | wish to
assure friends who write about snaps
that ana a long way from home and
II We passed any snaps my superior
officers did not report them to me or
10 taose above them. This is not
'Saapyille.'
-kiiscellaneeus Matters.
There are many social organizations
and tho women have their clubs the
same as at home, There Is. / note,
trouble IA home about filtration plants,
so ! append account of Canal Zone no
I ticc:
THE Wuatlon plant at Mount Hope
! Is now in operation and filtered water
/ has been supplied TO Colon. Cristobal
aud Mount Hope since DeceHber L. A
boiler and air pump have been installed
az the Bra2os Brook reservoir from
liAhich an air pipe runs % the bottom
OF the gate house and discharges air
into the water through perforated
grid 50 that an the water supply from
Brazos Brook reservoir Is aofatel in
the gate hoSse This improvement, has
rem we'd the disagreeable taste and
odog which have been notlceable n The
walter from re reservoir at certain
times ot ihe year The same system
was installed az the Rio Grande reser-
voir In October, 1901. and has given
eXcclient results"
froptir,,oa ,,,, ,,,