Evening star., 1914-07-19

gree nv the excellent work which that
sculptor had performed in the execu-
tion of the monument to the victims
of the arsenal explosion. That fact
was key to a chapter in local history
If you will enter Congressional ceme-
terry by the main west gate you will
see, a few yards on the left, tall
white monument, surmounted by the
figure of a woman. There is large
mound covered with grass. red clover
and daisies, inside OF a rectangular
iron fence. Out of the mound rises
the granite base of the monument; then
there are two layers of sandstone
blocks. and on top of that is a square
marble structure, on the south face of
which is this inscription:
KILLED by an Explosion at the United
States Arsenal, Washington. d. c., June
II, 1864"
On the north face is this inscription:
Erected by Public Contribution by
the Citizens of Washington, D. c., June
II. 1865.
On the east and west faces Of the
monument are inscribed these names
of the victims of the explosion:
ELLEN Roche. Julia McEwen. Bridget
Dunn. w. f. Tippett. Margaret Horan.
Johanna Connors. Susan Harris. Lizzie
Brahler, Margaret c. Yonson, Bette
Branagan, Eliza Lacey, Emma Baird,
Rate brOSnandn, Louise lLlOyQ, Emily
Collins. Rebecca Hull, Annie S. Bache.
Mary burroughs, Sallie McElfresh,
Pinkey Scott
From that part of the monument con-
tanning the inscriptions rises circular
shaft. on the top of which is the figure
of a woman in the attitude of grief.
The magnitude of the disaster can be
judged by the list of victims, and yet
"the arsenal explosion" is preserved in
the Inemory only of old citizens. 1t was
one of,the big and dreadful things in To-
cal history which has almost been for
gotten.
All the victims whose names are carved
on the marble are not buried beneath the
rNcr llment The remains of those who
colIlri nor be identified by some trinket or
article of dress which escaped oblitcra-
tor rest there. Two victims lie in other
graves in Congressional cemetery. and
three rest in Mount Olivet cemetery.
The arsenal explosion occhrred at a
few minutes before noon Friday, June
IL. 1851. At half past o'clock that day
The Star issued an extra, from which
the following account is extracted:
At ten mnn,es TO I2 o'clock To-day a terrible
eatastEoyte occurred at tn. arsenal which has
cast.a gloom the whole community and rem
drTed sad many heart that was bI"yan1 few
Will, ons hundred and eight girls wcTe ar work
in the main laboratory making .ar'ridSss 70.
small II quantity Of fireworks which lad
le.n placed the "Itsidc Of :he h'iiidnc no
icnise,I. and piece OF fuse. dying into
,t: the IN which wern seated about
twenty nine young set tbs. cartridges on
IRE and caused instantaneous explosion.
All the narrowing scenes of a great ac-
cident' were enacted The news spread
over the city AS only tragic news can.
Crowds, hocked to the arsenal Fire
calls brought out the Columbia. Perse-
vcrance. Anacostia and Franklin fire
companies the American hook and lad
der'-co,npany and the government steam
engines Rucker. Meigs and Hibernia-
There was danger that other buildings
at the arsenal would catch fire from the
burning wreckage. The magazine was
not far away. At the time The Stars
first extra went on the street nineteen
bodies burned beyond recognition" had
been taken from the ruins and many in
Iured were being taken to hospitals and
10 their homes. 1t was believed that all
the girls in the cartridge loading room
We're killed. Girls in the other rooms
we're in some cases burned, and in other
cases injured by jumping from windows
or crushed in the panic.
The facts, which were not clearly brought