New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-19

Nany Rural Guards and Pinar
del Rio Residents
Lose Lives.
ONE HUNDRED INJURED
Three Thousand Pounds of Elk
plosive Wreck Large Part
of City-Cause Not
Known.

Havana. May 1S-Two almost stimuli
-sneous explosions OF dynamite. supposed
- consist Of three thousand pounds.
completely demolished the rural guard
barracks in the city of Pinar del Rio
,bis afternoon. Fully hundred persons
r,ere killed and nearly as many were
wounded.
Most Of the dead We're rural guards.
Int entire families OF several of the Of
ecers of the rural guard. il is reported.
uere also killed as well as several en-
rioves Of the Public Works Department
ane residents of the city, on whom a
ssluge Of the wreckage from the blown
up building fell.
Il is not known yet whether the ex-
nlosion was the result of an accident or
was due to an act OF conspirators, but
che former hypothesis is considered the
more probable. Several relief trains.
carrying surgeons, officers and men of
me rural guard and government Off
cisls. started this afternoon from Ha-
ana 10 the scene of the catastrophe, los
mics distant.
The names OF the dead have not yet
bsen reported. with the exception OF
captsin Alfredo Ravena and Captain
cssnar Betancourt, Of the garrison, and
tbeir families. who are reported to be
hurried in the ruins of the officers quar-
ters. adjacent TO the barracks.
The barracks was q massive bulidlng'
of spanfsh construction, on an eminence
,utbe outskirts of the city TO the north
nvrins the late intervention it was the
headquarters Of Colonel Parker's regl-
-nent. the 18th Cavalry. Adjacent to the
barracks was long row Of officers
cr,arters. The barracks was occupied re-
Gently by the Public Works Department
.spd four troops OF rural cavalry In con-
sequence Of the alarm over race as
-grbances the government ordered al
seposirs Of dynamite in the vicinity IN
,be nossession of contractors for road
construction and other public works TO
be removed to the barracks for safe
Eeeping. This afternoon the work CT re-
moving the dynamite from the barracks
ter shipment to the government maya
zines in Havana was begun by employees
n me Public Works Department. assist
ed by rural guards
They were engaged IN loading cases Of
rhe dynamite on wagons when ter
mic explosion occurred instantly FOL
lowed by another, strewing the central
eourt in which the work was going
m with dead and wounded. The whole
massive barracks building was de-
stroved. the adjacent row Of oflcers
nd -ha whole
northern section Of the city was deiugeo
with torrent Of fragments of masonry
Tn explosions occurred at . O'Clock,
few seconds before the men would nave
cult work. and il is generally believed
taat the first resulted from the accidental
fan Of d box Of dynamite which was
Icing lifted on a wagon. It is lmpos-
tibie however. to determine absolutely
The cause. for the reason that all the
men and buildings near by were blown
20 fragments. 1t is believed that the |
majority Of the wounded are residents
81 the town. Practically all persons
within the barracks We're instantly Killed
o. buried in the ruins
The work Of exhUming the dead and
searching for those who still may be
alive Is going on tonight, but is greatly
retarded by the destruction of the cleo
TIE light wires and the fear that a
quantity Of unexploded dynamite re-
mains in the ruins.
According to reports received here
the mangIed remains OF victims were
found iu the streets of the city mile
from the scene Of the explosion There
is great anxiety in Havana, owing 10
the fact that a large number of the
rural garrison at Pinar del Rio recently
We're sent from this city where their
families reside. General Monteagudo, 1
Commander Of the Rural Guard. LEFT
aere Tonight for Pinar del Rio with
strong force 10 render all possible as
eistance