The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-09
Over Fifty People Are Sc
rious|y Injured And Many
of Them Will Die
BUILDINGS DESTROYED
FOR MILES EACH WAY
Explosion Occurs Near Hull, in Cana
da, and Its Force Is Felt Severely
In the Town aud Across
the River

/
| Ottawa, Ontario May S-This city and
| the city of. Hull. across the river, were
rocked by an explosion which destroyed
the plant of the General Explosives com
pany of Canada, near Hull, at o'clock
tenight. Fifteen persons were killed and
more than 90 injured. some of whom will
die Two scores of houses in the north
west section of Hull were wrecked and
in this city, four miles from the maga-
zines, hundreds of plate glass windows
we're shattered.
Rdeau Hail. the home of the lieu
tenant governor, Earl Grey, and the par
| Lament buildings, which are two miles
| nearer the scene of the explosion than
| the main section of the city. received
| the. full force of the blast. Two large
| chmneys of Rideau Hall toppled over
ane all the windows of the north side
! OF the hall and the parliament buildings
were blown out. .r..N
| The force of the explosion was terri.
| flying. The country for miles around was
laid waste and many small dwellings in
the city of Hull on the side nearest the
scene of the explosion, were hattened to
the ground.
| A baseball game was in progress a
short distance from the powder works
about 6 o'clock this evening. The teams
| were playing the last inning and, when
| a fire was seen in one of the small
buildings of The powder plant the crowd
| began to swarm up the hill to get a
! better view of the blaze. Warning of
| the danger came to the onlookers in two
| minor explosions soon after the fire got
re.II
fragments of the wrecked building fell
among the spectators and there was a
scurrying out of what was considered
| the danger zone.
| Some men in the crowd, aware of the
| danger when the main magazine was
| reached, pleaded with the crowd to go
still farther back and many of them
| needed the warning. Others, apparently
| enjoying the element of danger nj the
sfectacle. stood within 1000 yards of the
burning buildings. They were kept on
the qui vive by detonations which sent
showers of burning brands in all direc-
! tions.
Two Big DetoBntions
| The baseball game broke up and the
| remainder of the spectators and the play
! ers rushed up to join the crowd at the
| fire. II was then that the main maga-
| zine exploded There were two stunning
| detonations. Everything within a radius
| tered. Giant trees were snapped off close
to the earth: barns and dwellings were
| converted into kindling wood and over
in Ottawa. four miles from the scene.
hundreds of plate glass windows were
broken.
bal, game were resembled a battlefield.
Headess. armless and legess bodies were
| lying about among scufes of unconscious
forms. To the few who retained flicker
o. consciousness 1t appeared as though
more than a hundred had been rhled.
The silence which followed the final
death-dealng blast was more terrifying
than the cries and means which came
with a return to consciousness OF the
badly injured. The terrific shock brought
thousands of terror-stricken people into
the streets of Hull Some thought it was
an earthquake, while others cried out
that the comet had struck the earth.
Hundreds of chimneys we're soppled over
| and there is scarcely whole pane OF
glass left in the northeastern section OF
| the city.
Fist Call for Aid
| The first call for aid from the hos
pitfalls and the police came from the Sec
ton of the city nearest the magazines.
There 1t was found that fully 40 small
frame dwellings had been shattered and
| many injured people Were imprisoned
in the wreckage. The police and fire
departments were Joined by scores of
volunteers in the work of rescue.
1t was fully an hour and half after
the explosion that word came into the city
of the disaster near the powder works.
Ambulances and automobiles were rushed
to the scene and the frightfully injured
were taken to the local hospitals until
there was room for no more, and then
they were brought across the river to this
city.
At 10 O'Clock a police es.Smate placed
the number of dead at Is and the injured
at 30.
In this city, four miles from the scene
OF the explosion, the terror inspired was
scarcely less than that at Hull. The
earth trembled buildings shook and hum
dreds of windows were shattered. The
great cloud of smoke which mounted In
q column over Hull quickly indicated the
true cause of the terrifying shock.
Rideau Hall, the official home of Earl
Grey, and the buildings Parliament
HILL caught the full force of the ex-
plosion. being two miles nearer the powder
plant than the main section of the city.
Every window In one side of Rideau hall
was blown out and two great stone Chin
neys toppled over. The parliament build
ings were also damaged greatly
Troops Sent to Give Aid
As soon as Earl Grey Learned the ex-
tent of the disaster he ordered detach-
ment of troops sent across the river to
help the authorities.
/ The building In which the main ex-
plosion occurred was built of solid stone,
the walls being two feet thick. Frag-
ments of stone weighing up to half ton
sped through the air for a distance OF a
quarter of a mile. shattering the frame
dwellings of workmen which run to within
an eighth OF mile of the factory.
In a home just north of the works two
| sisters named Carrier IS and 10 years
old. were killed while sitting at the sup
per table. John Isianchfeld was sitting
with his wife in the door of his home
when fragment OF rock snuffed out his
hfe but left her unharned.
{ The head of lad named Fabien was
cut clean from his body.
Louis Mccain. a laborer. was crushed
by falling fragment. He was started
for an Ottawa hospital in an automobile,
but when it was seen that he was dying
the car was stopped In front of the Roman
Catholic cathedral. There. standing on the
steps. priest administered the last sac
raments few moments before Mccain
died. A little boy and girl. found dying