Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-07
British Steamer With Car
90 for Panama Wrecked
at Baltimore.
so DEAD; MANY HURT
Force Of Explosion Destroys
Upper Works of New Collier
and Kills Three Men.

baltimore. Md, March Three
hundred and forty tons OF dynamite
exploded this morning in the lower
Baltimore harbor killing about fifty
men and woundng as many more.
many Of them fatally. The explosive
was being transferred from a barge
10 the British steamer Alum Chine.
when it, went of from a cause un-
known The men killed were mem
hers OF the crews of the steamer and
barge and vessels nearby.
Baltimore, March An explosion
o. dynamite. far-reaching and disas
trOus In results, occurred in the lower
harIor OF Baltimore this morning.
when more than 300 tons Of the ex
pI1sive being loaded on board the
British steamer Alum Chine. blew up.
The known dead number seven. OF
these four belong to the crew OF the
Alum Chine and three were on board
the naval collier Jason.
Twcntynine men on the collier and
the greater part OF the crew OF the
Alum Chine were injured
MI.N .Itl1iP OVERHEARD.
The British steamer Alum -yGhiR4sl
loading dynamite for use on the Pan
ama canal. was wrecked by an explo-
flou that was followed by a fire this
u0rninC len the lower harbor OF Haw-
iaa point According TO the police,
tuIr men were killed and % injured.
The res, on the steamer saved them
selves 10y jumping overheard. They
We're picked up by launches and tugs
4 barge lying alongside containing
$40 ions Of dynamite being transfer
red Co the Alum Chine was completely
wrecked and sank II is believed an
explosion occurred on the barge.
NEW COLLIER WRECKED.
The force OF the explosion swept
away the upper works Of the United
states naval collier Jason. killing
three men and injuring % others. The
Jason was 700 feet away az the time
lr had just been completed by the
Maryland Steel company and was soon
60 have a government trial trip.
BODIES PICkED Up.
Scores OF vessels hurried to the
scene TO render what aid they could
Floating bodies were drawn from the
wreckaEe and some OF the injured
were rescued from floating debris
Thirty or more badly injured mer
we're brought to Baltimore hospitals
The Alum Chine had been here
since March l and was finishing load
ing a cargo OF high explosives fol
the Panama canal.
This morning a lighter with foul
railroad cars was towed to the sid,
oS the vessel and would have com
pleted the task OF loaing the explosive,
IN few hours. Nearby was the ,n'
Atlantic and several launches belong
ing TO ship chambers
PUFF OF SMOKE.
Suddenly there was a puff OF smokt
from the hold OF the ship. One o
the crew noticed il and ran scream
ing 10 the deck. followed by the panic
stricken crew. or as many as hat
time 70 escape from the lower par
of the vessel. Right along side Alum
Chine was the launch Jerome. manne
by Ship Chandler James GOodhues
Into this boat leaped IA OF the Alum
Chimes crew, and the little craft turn
ed from the burning ship at top speed
When the launch was 200 feet ava
the explosion came with a deafentn
roar as hundreds OF tons OF explosiy
went OF.
HULL TOSSED IN AIR.
Columns OF fame shot from ever
portion OF the vessel and the al
was hlled with flying debris Piece
OF machinery and the hull OF the boa
weighing tons shot hundreds OF fet
I'm the air Pieces OF iron and stet
weighing 30 pounds were found o
shore four miles from the scene.
One OF the unexploded boxes OF dyni
mite struck the upper works Of III
Collier Jason. nearby. and exploded
Several men were killed outright an
so more on the Collier were frightfull
injured Up 10 midafternoon ther
we're no definite figures, but II va
said ar east 80 men were killed an
as many more injured Some Of n
latter are expected 10 die.
STEVEDoREs MISSING.
Six Of the crew Of the rug Atlanti,
lying alongside the Alum Chin,
were killed and tAe tug destroyed. Tn