The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-03-07
PlTIFUl SCENES ON WHARF
Number DeadWiII Be SweIIed as
Many of Injured Are Fa-
tally Hurt
SHOCK IS FELT MILES AWAY

Baltimore, March 7.-Three hundred
and forty tons OF dynamite exploded
this morning in the lower Baltimore
harbor, killing about fifty men ana
wounding as many more, many of them
FATALLY. The explosive was being
transferred from barge to the Brit
ish steamer Alum Chine, when it went
off, the cause being unknown.
OF the dead, some belonged to the
crew OF the Alum Chine and barge.
some were members of the
crew If the tug Atlantic. lying along
side the Alum Chine and some were on
board the naval collier, Jason. some
| distance away. OF the injured. ten Of
the Jason's people are said TO be fat
ally hurt Forty stevedores are unac-
counted for If they were ON the
steamer 1T is considered they PERISH
ed.
The force of the explosion swept
away the upper works of the L. :.
naval collier, Jason. The Jason was
200 feet away at the time She had
just been completed by the Maryland
Steel company and was soon 10 have
had its trial trip, Several on the ia
son were killed and thirty or more
frghtfully hurt.
PitifuI Scenes on Wharf
Pitiful scenes Were enacted on
Broadway wharf when tugs bearing
the dead and injured arrived there
Hundreds of women and children. cry
ing and wringing their hands. begged
TO be allowed TO see ir any of their
folks We're among the victims. some
were able To walk home, unassisted.
but others We're taken to hospitals.
a score of vessels hurried to Tn,
scene TO give what aid they could.
Floating bodies were drawn from the
wreckage and some injured rescued
from floating debris. Thirty or moro
badly injured men were brought to the
hospitals
Hull Blown High In Air.
The Alum Chine, here since March
l. was finishing loading cargo of
high explosives for the Panama canal.
This morning a lighter with four rail
road cars was towed to the side of the
vessel and the work of completing the
task of loading was expected i'm a few
hours. Nearby was the tug Atlantic
and several launches belonging to the
ship chambers Suddenly there was n
puff Of smoke from the hold of the
ship one Of the crew noticed IL and
ran screaming To the dock. followed
by the panic stricken crew. or. as
many as had time 10 escape from the
lower part Of the vessel. Right along
side the Alum Chine was the launch.
jerome. manned by ship Chandler
James Goodhues Into this boat leap
ed fourteen Of the Alum Chimes crew
and the little craft turned from the
burning ship at top speed. When the
launch was 200 feet away the cxplo-
sion came.
There was a deafening roar as the
tons of explosive went off Columns Of
flame shot from every portion of the
vessel and the air was filled with fly
ing debris, Pieces Of machinery and
the hull Of the boat, weighing tons.
shot hundreds of feet i'm the air. Pieces
of iron and steel, Weighing fifty
pounds, were found on the shore four
miles from the scene.
The explosion shook the country for
miles around. Windows were broken
and chimneys knocked Off houses doz-
ems of miles from the disaster Bal
timore was shaken as If by an earth
quake and tall buildings rocked Al
| Sparrows Point a school house was
partly destroyed and several children
! hurt
Shock Felt Many Miles Away.
The explosion was remarkable for
! the great distance the shock OF the blast
Cnntinned on 9Th pana ond Cnlnr,.n