Atlanta Georgian., 1913-03-07
Three States Are Shaken by
Tremendous Blast in River
Near Baltimore.
Ia BODIES RECOVERED;
DEBRIS BLOWN MILES
Crew Torn to Atoms by Ex-
pIoSive Material Intended
for Panama Canal.

BALTIMORE, March with a ter.
rife detonation, which was felt in three
states, barge load Of dynamite ex-
ploded in the Patapsco river. between
Sparrows Point and Wagners Point. to-
day. The disaster caused heavy loss
OF human life.
Late this afternoon fourteen bodias
had been recovered in the lower bav
by tugs, and at that time II was be-
lieved the death list would reach 100.
The British tramp steamer Alum,
Chine which was loading nearby. was
sunk.
The giant United States collier Ia
son, upon which the dynamite was Il
be loaded for transportation to the
Panama canal zone was badly dam.
! aged. Four men on the Jason woro
kilied outright and half a dozen Others
injured
Waters Rises Life Gsyser
The barge upon which the dvpar,,.,
was being towed and the tug which
was hauling the deadly cargo. were
blown to bits.
As the thunder Of the explosion
pierced the air mighty burst or ,va
ter rose upward like u giant ge,,sa4
= elaal wave raised by the powerful
concussion OF the blast rolled up tI,a
Dor. '''0 ii@l-
The men upon tho tugboat and tba
barge We're blown to pieces. Human
arms and legs were picked up in the
oioody and wreck k-strewn waters Of tho
pay Tor hours after the explosion.
WINDOWS upon the shore were brol,a,
ana the force OF the explosion was falt
through the length and breadth ~
delaware For miles in the interior Of
maryland the shock was sperceptihle
~ was also felt in southern New Jer-
sey' hundreds of persons Thought
thaI an earthquake had occurred
Wreckage Hurled Miles.
Pieces of iron and wreskae,o
PICKED up miles inland. where they had
been hurled by the mighty force Of the
explosion. The titanic burst OF sound
was heard for miles and miles.
The United States revenue cutter
Gutilrie was rushed to the scene. In
the wake OF the Guthrie raced the tpgs
Hamilton, Brittania and Baltimore
Doctors were taken on board launch
es to the scene to save any that might
be living.
Baltimore was caught in the shock
OF the explosion and shaken like a
leaf in whirlwind. LOFTY buildings
trembied from turret to basement and
maps were shaken from the walls of
offices and school rooms.
Fhe universal query was: How manv
have been killed?
All Delaware Shakan
The state of Delaware was shaken
from end to end. The explosion was
plainly felt in remote parts of the state
many persons believing that an earth.
quake had occurred.
The police and the county suthorl-
ties, assisted by the Federal autbori-
ties, AZ once began investigating. but
1t was admitted that It may never be
known how many persisted.
1t viii at least go TO 70 and possible
100.
Besides Tie four sided, 10 Others On
the coilier Jason had legs. arms and
ribs broken. Some OF them may die.
Living Friahtfully Manaied.
The firt bodies and fragments of
human remains were brought to Balti-
more on tugs shortly after noon. With
the dead came the living, some of them
fFightfully mangled. AT o'clock more
than SO Of the injured We're brought
into Browns wharf and Sparrows Point
and taken 10 the city hospitals. which
Were oVercrowded. 1t was necessary to
put the injured in improvised operating
rooms.
X is impossible as yet to Iealu abe
cause Ok the disaster Stories oe sue
vivers differ widely. One account tells
Io1 fire aboard the barge for twenty
minutes before the blast ann. Al.