Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-03-12
SOUTH oARoLINA.
SHE DIsAsrER IN BAITIMoRE
British Vessel Blown to Atoms and
Rescue Ship Wrecked.

Chine, in the lower harbor off Fort |
Carroll, exploded about 1890 O'Clock |
this morning, instantly killing from
40 to so men, wounding and maim- |
ing three score more, some Of whom
may die, and dealing destruction to /
$500, 900 worth of property.
The Alum Chine and a loading |
sccw alongside her were annihilated. |
| The tug Atlantic, which twice went |
| to the rescue Of the imperiled. sea-
men, was set on fire and later sank !
The United States collier Jason, just
completed and ready for trial. was
raked to her deck and her armor
was riddled. Buildings in Baltimore
and towns many miles away were
rocked by the force of the terrific ex-
| Iplosion
! The Cause Unknown.
The cause of the disaster Is un-
known tonight, but Federal authors
ties have instituted a thorough inves-
| tigation to place the blame. EXcitedS
survivors told conflicting stories,
some insisting that negro stevedore
caused the explosion by jamming a
spike into a case of dynamite. This
| is denied by eye-witnesses, who de-
clare. that smoke was seen pouring
from the Alum Chimes hold several
|
red.
At a late hour tonight the bodies
Of 20 dead had been brought to NOR
CUES in this city and 60 injured were
| in the hospitals. Estimates Of the
| dead included 80 stevedores and
checkers of the Joseph r. Foard Co.,
! employed in transferring dynamite
from barge to the Alum Chine,
which was bound for Panama, eight
mehbers of the crew of the Alum
Chine, six men of the collier Jason
and the captain and several members
of the crew Of the tug Atlantic. Many
bodies, it is believed, never will be-
recovered from the icy waters.
OF the injured score are fright
| fully manned. At least 15 are ex-
pected to die.
A Deadly Echo.
| The transportation company's scow
had been moored TO the big steamef,l
and the concussfon from the ships
hold blew up the tons OF dynamite
still aboard the barge in an echoing
explosion that increased the carnage
and destruction. Several small craft
in the harbor are believed to have
been blown to pieces
The tug Atlantic, which had twice
rushed to the rescue before the crash,
! was racing away when it was caught
in the rain of charred wood, hot steel
and unexploded boxes Of dynamite
that fell in a shower for a quarter of
a mile around, killing some Of the
crew outright and setting fire sto the
vessel.
Coming up the river at the time
was the tug Brittania and she rush
ed to the aid of the Atlantic, picking
up many of the wounded who had
eaped into the water. Some of them
are said to have perished before the
Rrittan!a could get to them
No Explanation of Explosion.
Baltimore, March 9.-Although
VIM. j. Bomhardt, assistant foreman
of the stevedores, employed in load
ing the dynamite ship Alum Chine,
which blew up in the lower harbor
here Friday, is under arrest, charged
with the act which caused the dis
aster, dynamite experts still incline
to the theory that spontaneous COM
bustion in the coal bunkers Of the
vessel caused the disaster.
Bomhardt was arrested early this
morning after Coroner RUSSELL OF
the Eastern Police District, had taken
the statement or Morris Price, a
steVedore, who itaid he saw Bonn
hardt stick a bsle hook into a box
OF dynamite ana cause its explosion.
The coroner says the statement of
Price is supported by other steve
dores who were in the immediate vi
entity
Bomhardt denies the use Of the
bale hook, but admits that the box
of dynamite exploded while \he was
handling 1t. His theory is that the
dynamite had been frozen and had
blistered, and that the friction caused
by the blisters on two adjoining
sticks produced the explosion
Contrasting with these stories are
the statements of others aboard the |
Alum Chine that they heard no ex- |
plosion whatever before they saw
smoke and flames pouring from the
hold of the ship.
Explosive Works Explode.
Glasgow, Scotland March 10.-A |
terrific dynamite explosion to-day |
| rocked the town Of Irvine, in aver |
SHIRE The Nobels explosive works, |
twenty miles from here, were de- |
stroyed and the town OF Irvine was
shaken to it's foundations. Many
houses, churches, schools and public |
institution ms were destroyed.
ceilings fell everywhere partitions |
collapsed and scarcely a window in |
the town was left intact.
People walking on the streets were |
thrown to the ground and many seri- |
ously injured. All the Inhabitants |
rushed from their houses in conster- |
nation. The water front and harbor |
were masses Of wreckage.
| Thafp 4