Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-03-13
FROM 40 TO so MEN KILLED
AND THREE SCORE INJURED
Smoke Seen Pouring from Hold Few Minutes
before Ship Jumped from the Water-Sev-
eral Small Craft, as Well as the Three
Destroyed Probably Blown to Pieces.

Baltimore. Md, March Three hum
bred tons Of dynamite being loaded in the
British tramp steamer Alum Chine in the
lower harbor. off Fort Carroll. exploded
about 1890 o'clock this morning, instantly
killing from 40 to 50 men, wounding and
ma aiming three score more, some of whom
may die, and dealing destruction to half
million dollars worth of property.
The Alum Chine and a loading 9cow
alongside her were completely annihiat-
ed the tug Atlantic which twice went to
the rescue of imperlled seamen 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
arrnor riddlcd. and buildings in Baltimore
and cities and towns many miles away
were rocked by the force of the terrific
explosion.
The cause of the disaster is unkonwn
tonight, but federal authorities have in
stituted a thorough investigation to place
the blame. Excited survivors told con-
ficting stories, some insisting that
negro stevedore caused the explosion by
tanning pike into case of dynamite.
This is denied by eye witnesses who de-
clare that smoke was seen pouring from
the Alum Chimes hold several minutes
before the explosion occurred.
At late hour tonight the bodies
of 20 dead ha / been brought to NOR
CUES in this city and so injured We're
in hospitals. The estimates OF the
dead include 30 stevedores and check
ers of the Joseph r. Foard company
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
md the captain and several members
of the crew of the tug Atlantic.
FIFTEEN INJURED WILL DIE.
OF the injured score are fright
'ully manned, their skulls fractured,
arms and legs torn off and their bodies
terribly lacerated. At least 10 are cX-
pected to die. Tonight Is of the dea
had been identified as follows:
Captain William L. Van Dyke, Balti-
more, of the tug Atlantic,
Robert W. Digss, first mate tug At
iantic, Baltimore.
Edward Waters, chief officer of the
Alum Chine.
Jos P. Lennon, Baltimore Atlantic
crew
JOHn MdCkTal RANK IJONlc, Isu =
ward Cassell. Andrew Garotski, Jos T.
Hood, stevedores. all of Baltimore,
Charles Davis, fireman on the col
her Jason, Baltimore.
John Lind, fireman, collier Jason,
Baltimore.
William Balston, stevedore, Balti-
more.
Philip Smith. stevedore, Baltimore.
Missing believed to be dead are
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 Lievig. sea
man. two unidentified coal passers.
From Atlantic transport barge. No
3-Wlliam Meyers, Baltimore; Henry
Ruschmann, assistant barge master
Baltimore.
Seamen in scores of small craft anC
Captain Van Dyke of the Atlantic saw
smoke coming from the dynamite lader
Alum Chine a few minutes before tbs
explosion and the launch jerome wa:
alongside the ship, rescuing many mem
hers of the crew and rushing them &c
safety. The witnesses say that when the
explosion came the steamer Jumped from
the water as if a torpedo had struck hci
from below, and then fell to fragments
In which were mingled the torn bodies
If the dead.
The transport companys scow had beer
tightly tied to the big steamer and tho
conCussiOn from the ships hold blew W
the tons of dynamite still aboard the
barge in an echoing explosion that in
creased the carnage and destruction. Sew
rra small craft in the harbor are be
lieved to have been blown to pieces.
The tug Atlantic, which had twice
rushed in TO the rescue before the crash
was racing away when it was caught IL
the rain of charred wood and red no
steel that fell in a shower for quartz
Of a mile around, killing some of tn
crew outright and setting fire to tn
vessel.
PICKED WOUNDED FROM WATER.
Coming up the river at the time wa
the tug Britannia and she rushed to tn
aid of the Atlantic, picking up many q
the wounded who had leaped into tn
water
The Britannia ran a line to the burnin
tug and started up the river with hel
but the vessel sank before the Lazarett
lighthouse was reached
Inspector p. J. Curran, the boardin
officer assigned to the Alum Chine, ha
left on the revenue cutter Guthrie 500
after nine o'clock and was able to CIV
vivid description of the explosion
The Guthrie steamed away" he sale
going about mile to wait for an ir
coming vessel. and it was while we wer
moving around that the captain and otf
,Ts Noticed fire on the steamer CaDtat
Dunn of the cutter then steamed towar
the burning vessel but when With
three-qusrters of a mile the ship exploc
ed The Guthrie got severe shaking.
Following the explosion we saw
huge inky-cloud which assembled fully
feet and almost covered the harbo
When this cleared away there vas naugf
in sight Where the steamer had bee
wing vessel, scow and cars had dhaI