The San Francisco call., 1910-05-09
WINDOWS SHATTERED IN
OTTAWA, 4 MILES AWAY
Headless, LegIess and ArmIess
Bodies Recovered After
Fearful Accident
SITE OF BASEBALL GAME
RESEMBLES BATTLEFIELD

- TTAWA, Ont, May S.-An explo-
sion today wrecked the plant OF
~ the General Explosives company
OF Canada near Hull, Que, kill
ing IS persons and injuring so others
The force Of the explosion was terri
flying The country for miles around
was laid waste and many small dwell
ings in the city of Hull, on the side
nearest the scene of the explosion, were
fattened 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
q 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 10 the onlookers in
two minor explosions soon after the
fire got wei under way A shower of
sparks and fragments of the wrecked
building fell among the spectators, and
there was q scurrying out of what was
considered the danger zone. Some men
in the crowd, aware Of the possibility
OF the danger when the main magazine
was reached. pleaded with the crowd TO
80 still farther back, and many Of them
needed the warning. Others, apparent
ly enjoying the element Of danger in
the spectacle stood within 1000 yards
Of the burning buildings. They were
kept on the qui vive by detonations
that sent showers OF burning brands in
all directions.
Death Follows Explosion
The baseball game broke up and the
rest Of the spectators and the players
rushed up 10 join the crowd at the fire.
Il was then that the magazine ex-
ploded. There were two stunning de-
donations. Everything within radius
Of a mile and half was torn and shat
tered. Giant trees were snapped of
close TO the earth; barns and dwelling
houses were converted into kindling
wood. and even in Ottawa, four miles
from the scene, hundreds of plate glass
windows We're broken.
The scene where the crowd from the
bah game stood resembled a battle
field. Headless, armless and legless
bodies were lying about among scores
of unconscious forms.
The silence that followed the final
death dealing blast was more terrify-
ing than the cries and means which
came with q 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 was
an earthquake. while others cried out
that the comet had struck the earth.
hundreds Of chimneys were toppled
over and there is scarcely a whole win
dow left in the northeastern section of
the city.
The first call for aid from the hos
pitsls and the police came from the
section of the city nearest the maga-
zines. There it was found that fully
40 small frame dwellings had been
shattered and that many injured peo-
PIE were imprisoned in the wreckage.
1t was fully an hour and half after
the explosion that word came into the
city Of the disaster. Ambulances and
automobiles were rushed to the scene
and the seriously injured were carried
10 the Hull hospitals until there was
room for no more and then they were
brought TO Ottawa
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
hundreds Of windows We're shattered.
The great cloud of smoke that mounted
in a column over Hull quickly indicated
the true cause Of the terrifying shocks
Parliament Buildings Damaged
Rideau haIl, the official home of Earl
Grey, and the buildings on Parliament
hill caught the full force Of the expIo-
sion, being two miles nearer the pow
der plant than is the main section OF
the city.
Every window on one side OF Rideau
han was blown out and two great stone
chimneys toppled over on the roof OF
the building. The parliament build
ings we're also badly damaged.
Rideau haIl is still occupied by Earl
Grey and his family. The whole vice
regal establishment fed panicstricken
to the street. They were soon assured
that there was no further danger. AS
soon as Earl Grey learned the extent
OF the damage he ordered detachment
Of troops sent across the river to help
the authorities.
The building in which the main ex-