Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-03-08
FIFTY ARE KILLED
and 90 INJURED
THREE HUNDRED TONS OF DNNA-
MITE WORK TERRIFIC HAVOC
OFF FORT CARROLL.
BIC BUILDINGS ARE ROCKED
A Human Shamble Occurs and Mems
Heads and Limbs Fly Everywhere
Property Damage OF 100000.

BALTIMORE. Md, Mar. 7.-Three
hundred tons of dynamite being load
ed in the British tramp steamer Alum
Chine in the lower harbor off Fort
Carroll exploded at 1880 o'clock this
instantly killing from forty
to fifty men, wounding and manning
three score more, some of whom may
die, and dealing destruction to half
a million dollars worth OF property.
The Alum Chine and loading
scow alongside her were annihilated;
the tug Atlantic, which twice went TO
the rescue of the imperiled seamen,
was set on fire and later sank; tho
United States collier Jason, just COM
pleted and ready for trial, was raked
to her deck and her armor riddled,
and buildings in Baltimore and towns
many miles away were rocked by the
force of the terrific explosion.
The cause of the disaster Is un-
known tonight, but federal authori-
to place the blame. EN-
cited survivors told conflicting stories,
some insisting that negro stevedore
caused the explosion by jamming a
pike into case Of dynamite. This Is
denied by witnesses. who declare
that smoke was seen pouring from the
Alum Chimes hold several minutes
before the explosion occurred.
Can't Recover Many Bodies.
At late hour tonight the bodies
of twenty dead had been brought to
in this city and sixty In
jured were in the hospitals. Estimates
of the dead included thirty stevedores
and checkers of the Joseph r. Foard
employed in transferring
dynamite from a 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
OF the crew of the tug At
never will be recovered from the icy
waters.
Among the Dead.
OF the injured, a score are fright
pected to die.
Tonight nine of the dead had been
identified as follows:
Captain william E. Van Dyke, Bal
timore. of the tug Atlantic.
Robert f.. Diggs. firts mate, tug
Baltimore.
Edward Waters, chief officer of
Alum Chine.
Joseph p. Lennon, Baltimore, At
lantic crew.
John Mackral, Frank Doye, Ed
ward Cassal, Andrew Garotski. Jo-
timore.
Charles Davis, fireman on Collier
Jason, Baltimore.
John Lind. fireman collier Jason,
Baltimore.
William Balston, stevedore. Balti-
more.
Philip Smith. stevedore. Baltimore.
Two dead negro stevedores.
Missing, believed to be dead:
From the Alum Chine-Jose Gomez
donkey engineer: James Gibson, Car
diff, Wales, fireman; John Davis. Car
diff, fireman; G. Nelson. seaman;
Neilberg fireman: Gustav Leibeg, sea-
man; two unidentified coal passers.
From Atlantic transport barge No.
William Meyers, Baltimore; Henry
assistant bargemaster,
Gave His Life TO Save.
William T.. Van Dyke of Baltimore,
captain of the Atlantic, lost his life
in heroically rushing to the aid OF
he imperiled British seamen in the
1oomed Alum Chine, and his vain ef-
Tort carried with him to death many
members of the crew.
When curling smoke from the bow
IF the Alum Chine warned members
If her crew, the stevedores engaged
n loading her, and the crew of the
Atlantic alongside that fire was eat
ng its way out of the coal bunkers,
there was instant realization that
flames would soon reach the 400 tons
Of dynamite stored in the Alum
Chimes hold and the barge roped be-
side her.
Many Leap Overheard.
Instantly there was a rush for the
ships side. Fourteen members of
he crew and four Of the stevedorcs
eaped over the rail and tumbled pell
nell into the launch Jerome, that had
1 moment before brought two fire
men aboard the ill-fated ship. All
he other members OF the crew and
'tevedores, who could. leaped for the
lecks OF the Atlantic. The tug and
aunch cut hawsrs and sped away
from the scene of the impending
The Jerome was the
irst to get started.
The Atlantic had proceeded a few
hundred feet when two frantic fig
Tres were seen clamboring from the
Alum Chimes hold. They were sail
,rs who had been left behind. Reach
NO tba cidaa ~ tho yaucal thav