The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-03-08
SCORES KILLED
IN EXPLOSION.
Three Vessels Torn to Pieces BY
Dynamite at Baltimore.
FouS STATES FELT SHOCK

Pennsylvania, New Jersey Delaware
and Maryland Shaken byEarthquake
az $40 Tons Of Dynamite Let's Go. T
Baltimore, Md, March 8. =
hundred and forty tons of dyna
exploded in Lower Baltimore ha
killing fifty-four men and woundi1
manymore, many of them fatally
The explosive was being transfe
from a barge to the British stea
Alum Chine, when it went off.
men killed were members Of the ci
of the steamer and the barge and
sells moored nearby.
The Alum Chine and the barge, to
gether with the tug Atlantic and the
naval collier Jason, were either cons
pletely destroyed or very seriously
damaged.
The shock was felt as far away as
more. 1t was recorded also at Atlantic
City. People at first thought an earths
quake had occurred. A schoolhousa at
Sparrows Point, several miles from.
the scene of the explosion, was partly
destroyed and several of the school
children were hurt. Baltimore itself
was shaken as II by a powerful tremt
bling of the earth, and tall buildings
In the center Of the city rocked per-
ceptibly.
Scores Of vessels hurried to the
sceen Of the disaster to give what aid
they could. The explosion was 50
powerful that pieces of steel weighing|
fifty pounds were hurled through the
air for distance of four miles. Cases
of dynamite were thrown for a greaa
distance from the Alum Chine and exz
ploded as they fell, adding to the dam
age and destruction.
The injured were removed as speed
lily as possible to Baltimore. The dock:
where they were disembarked was q
scene of pathetic effort on the part OF
women and children seeking to learn|
the names of the dead and to identify
the wounded
The Alum Chine was finishing th<
AOo0AAS VI q SdA 81 VI uA6A CApxOoAv<zS
for the Panama canal. A lighter Will
four railroad cars was towed to th'
side of the vessel and the work d
completing the task of loading No
expected in few hours. Nearby m
the tug Atlantic and several 1aHf
belonging to the ship cir d 16Y
we're en3aeed fllrn In
toSlas steamship for Is IDS
ocean trip.
Suddenly puff of smoke came from
the hold of the ship. One of the crew
noticed it and, appreciating the dam
ger of impending disaster, ran scream
ing to the deck, followed by the panic
stricken crew or as many as had time
to escape from the lover part of the
ship.
Right alongside of the Alum Chine
was the launch Jerome, manned by,
ship chandler James p Goodhues. Into
this boat leaped fourteen of the Brit
the boy of his little craft away from
the burning ship and put OF at top
speed.
The first puff Of smoke was followed
by clouds of greater volume. The men
on the lighter made every effort to
escape. The captain of the Atlantic
was too far from the boat to give any
assistance and too close to escape its
coming doom. When the fleeing launch
was 200 feet from the Alum Chine the
explosion came.
There was deafening roar as hun
1reds of tons of explosive went off.
Columns of fame shot out from every
portion Of the vessel and the air was
filed with flying wreckage. Pieces oil
machinery and portions of the hull OF
the boat. weighing tons, were shot
hundreds of feet into the air.
Pieces of iron and steel three feet
long and weighing fifty pounds were
found at points on the Anne Arundel
and Baltimore county shores three
and four miles from the scene of the
explosion.
The flying wreckage included still
unexploded boxes of dynamite, and it
is believed that the falling of these
on the decks of the Jason and the tug
Atlantic was responsible for the ter.
dble damage and loss of life on those
vessels.
The superstructure OF the naval col
Ter Jason, nearby, was swept away
md her side was r;ddled by the flying
metal fragments that had been hurled
from the demolished steamer. One OF
The unexploded boxes Of dynamite
hurling through the air struck a por-
ion of the upper works Of the Jason
and exploded. Several men were killed
outright and thirty more who were on
the collier were fr;ghtfullv injured.
Another box of dynamite exploded
as it landed on the deck of the tug
Atlantic. The explosion was followed
BY fire and three mea lcxt their lives
there.
The first bodies and fragments were
brought to Baltimore on tugs. With
the dead came the iiviLe, some of
them frightfutIy mangled. The city po-
lice and dozens of physicians imme
iliately set to work.