The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-26
Explosion Wrecks Houses and
Throws Forty or Fifty Fami-
lies Into Panic.
OBSERVANCE OF HOLIDAY
SAVES W0RKMEN'S LIVES
Owners of Magazine, TunneIing
Firm, Meyer & Co., Unable
TO Give Cause.
Special TO The Tribune.

Special TO The Tribune.
BINGHAM Dee. 25-Freeman g1llch
to the west OF here. with its forty or
ifty families. was awakened at o'clock
this morning christmas day) by the eX
plosion Of one OF the powder ma ga zines
OF Meyer &; Co. tunnel builders for the
new Bingham & Garfield railway.
The explosion threw the residents of
the gulch into panic, but no one was
Injured
The magazine was close TO the en-
trance 10 the tunnel in which approx
matelv 100 men have been working, and
II was fortunate that the company had
laid of the workmeu Saturday night TO
give them a chance to enjoy the holi
dav, otherwise the loss of life undoubt-
edly would have been heavy, as the force
Of the explosion tore great holes In the
mountain side and broke windows out Of
buildings more than half mile away.
The cause is unknown. The explosion
occurred Immediately after the night
watchman left for breakfast. The maga-
zine was lighted by electricity. ssnd the
theory OF defective wiring has been ad-
vanced but this is rejected by the con-
tractors. The accumulation OF gases Is
another theory advanced.
Explosion Sweeps Gulch.
The magazine. within 100 feet OF the
tunnel being built from Freeman gulch
TO Markham Eulch. a distance OF 1900
feet was situated high on the mountai in
side. overlooking Freeman gulch. and a
background OF solid rock caused the force
OF the explosion TO sweep the rulch.
The shock awakened people and
wrecked homes Doors and windows were
burst open. pictures and other similar
articles were shaken from the walls, and
dishes and glasses were thrown from ta-
bles and broken
hundred feet from the site OF the maga-
Zine was awakened by falling pictures
and other articles. shaken from tho wall
home Is little closer to the site OF the
magazine. was in bed, while Mrs. Collins
was sitting in a chair. dressing. The
force Of the explosion threw Mrs, Collins
from her chair TO the floor.
The windows. including the ssshcs
panes and frames, came crashing in as
il they We're pasteboard, and clocks
dishes. pictures and other similar articles
chimneys OF the Collins home were
wrecked.
At the home OF John Delaney. the
stove was toppled over and the chimney
and windows were wrecked.
| Family Away From Home.
Tie home of William Morris was bad
/ ly wrecked but fortunately the family
was away FROM home. This house wa.
closest 10 the magazine, Several pieces
! OF furniture also were broken here.
/ The dishes at the home of John Rich.
| ardsou were broken.
The large front window in the Head
! quarters saloon and another window IL
the Bingham steam laundry, more thai
| half n mile Off were shattered.
The tunneling company immediately
| put q force of men 10 work repairing The
damage done 10 the houses by the eXplo
sion.
The company has gone into the noun
! tain 500 Of the l400 feet TO be covered
| Another magazine is situated across tn,
! gulch 500 feet away from the site o
/ the exploding magazine, but the force o
! the explosion was not directed that way
The company can account Tor no NOR,
| than 100 pounds OF powder in the eXplod
! ing magazine. but admits that the force
/ OF the explosion indicates that many time,
1 that quantity was stored there. The mag
azine was a frame building eight by fiy'
| feet In size.