The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-05-18
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION
IN A POWDER MILL

50
OTTAWA, Ont, May San explo-
sion today wrecked the plant of the /
General Explosives Company of Ca
NADIA near Hull, Que, killing Is per-
sons and injuring so others. The force
of the explosion was terrifying. 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 fiatten-
ed to the ground.
A baseball game was IN progress al
short distance from the powder works,
about o'clock this evening The teams
were playing the last snntng, and when
IA 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 well under way. A shower of
sparks and 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 possibility
of the danger when the main maya
zine was reached, pleaded with the
crowd to go still further back, and
many of them needed the warning.
Others, apparently enjoying the ele-
ment of danger in the spectacle, stood
within 1000 yards of the burning
buildings. They were kept on the qui
vive by detonations that sent show
ers of burning brands in all dire9-
lions.
Death Follows Explosion.
The baseball game broke up and the
rest of the spectators and the players
rushed up to join the crowd at the fire,
1t was then that the magazine ex-
lploded. There were two stunning de-
donations. Everything within a ra-
ldius of a mile and half was torn
and shattered. Giant trees were snap
ped off close to the earth; barns and
dwelling houses were converted into
kindling wood. and even in Ottawa
four miles from the scene, hundreds oi
plate glass windows were broken.
The silence that followed the finaI
death dealing blast was more terrify-
ing than the cries and means which
came with a return to consciousness
of the BADLY injured.
Many Injured in Wreckage.
The terrific shock brought thousands
of terror stricken people into the
streets of Hull. Some thought it wa;
an earthquake, while others cried ou
that the comet had struck the earth
Hundreds of chimneys were toppleC
). over and there is scarcely a whole
: window left in the northeastern sec
ton of the city.
J The first call for aid from the hos
pitfalls and the police came from thu
zines. There it was found that full,
, 40 small frame dwellings has beer
l shattered and that many injured peo
J, pie were imprisoned in the wreckage
1t was fully an hour and half afte
he explosion that word came into thu
city or the disaster. Ambulances an
oh haH tn no
and the seriously injured were carrie
% to the Hull hospitals until there wa
room Cor no more and then they wer
r brought to Ottawa.
In this city four miles from tn
scene of the explosion the terror In
spired was scarcely less than that {
Hull. The earth tremDled, building
shook and hundreds of windows weI
shattered. The great cloud of smok
that mounted in column over HUI
quickly indicted the true cause of tn
terrifying shocks.
Parliament Buildings Damaged.
Rideau hall, the official home
'e Earl Grey, and the buildings on Pan
3 Lament hill caught the full force {
the explosion, being two miles nearC
the powder plant than is the main sec
: tion of the city
Every window on one side of Ridea
: hall was blown out ana two great stor
chimneys toppled over on the roof
s the building. The parliament builC
= ings were also badly damaged.
Rideau hall is still occupied by Eal
= Grey and hrs family. The whole VIC