The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-03-08
Terrible Toll Levied on Lives
and Enormous Damage
Done to Property When
800 Tons of High Explo-
sive Explode in Hold of
Alum Chine at Baltimore
OTHER VESSELS
ARE DESTROYED
Loading Scow Alongside III
Fated Tramp Annihilated
Rescue Tug Sunk-U. S.
Collier Jason Raked to
Deck-Cities and Towns
Miles Away Feel Shock

BALTIMORE, March 7.-Three hun
dred tons of dynamite being loaded in
the British tramp steamer Alum Chine
In the lower harbor off Fort Carroll
exploded about 1880 o'clock this morn
ing, instantly killing from 40 to so
men. wounding and manning three
score more. some of whom may die.
and dealing destruction to s5oo,oo0
worth of property.
The Alum Chine and loading scow
alongside 1t were completely annihi-
lated; the tug Atlantic. which twice
went to the rescue Of 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 plates rid
died. and buildings in Baltimore and
cities and towns many miles away
were rocked by the force of the ter
rife explosion.
GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATING
The cause OF the disaster IS unknown
tonight. but federal authorities have
Instituted thorough investigation to
place the blame. Excited survivors told
conflicting stories, some insisting that
negro stevedore caused the explo-
sion by .jamming a pike into case of
dynamite. This is denied by eve wit
nesses, who declare that smoke was
seen pouring from the Alum Chimes
hold several minutes before the explo-
sion occurred.
At a late hour tonight the bodies
of 20 dead had been brought to the
morgues in this city and 60 injured
were in the hospitals. The estimates
of the dead included 80 stevedores and
checkers of the Joseph r. Foard COM
pany employed in transferring dyna-
mite from barge to the Alum Chine,
which was bound for Panama; eight
members of the crew of the Alum
Chine; six men on 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 a score are frightfully
manned. At least Is are expected to
die
Seamen in scores of small craft and
Captain Van Dyke of the Atlantic saw
smoke coming from the dynamite laden
Alum Chine a few minutes before the
explosion, and the launch Jocom, which
was alongside the ship. rescued many
members of the crew and rushed them
to safety.
JUMPS FROM THE WATER
The witnesses say that when the ex-
plosion came the steamer Jumped from
the water as II a torpedo had struck
her from below, and them fell to frag-
ments in which were mingled the torn
bodies Of the dead.
The transport company's scow had
been tightly tied to the big steamer.
and the concussion from the ships
hold caused a second explosion of the
tons of dynamite still aboard the
barge that increased the destruction.
Several small craft In the harbor are
believed to have been blown to pieces.
The tug Atlantic, which kwice had
rushed in to the rescue before the
crash, was racing away when 1t was
caught in the rain of charred wood
and red hot steel that fell IN shower
for a quarter OF a mile around, killing
some of the crew outright and setting
fire to the vessel.
TUG ATLANTIC SINKS
Coming up the river at the time was
the tug Britannia, which rushed to the
aid of the Atlantic. picking up many
of the wounded who had leaped into
the water Some of them are said to