The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-18
Canadian Powder Mill Scene Of
Explosion, Disaster.
Damage Will Reach Million
Entire Village Raced.

Montreal, Quebec, Aug. 1S.-At
least twenty persons were killed in
series of terrific explosions which
destroyed the Curtis & Harvey ammu-
milton plant at Dragon, Quebec, to-
day, according to latest estimates
from the scene of the disaster.
Scores of employees of the plant are
missing, but the belief was expressed
that many of them will be found to be
safe. despite the fear that the I'M
known death toll may yet be largely
increased
Wipes Out 40 Homes.
The explosion wiped out forty
homes of workers employed in the
plant and shook the country for miles
around. The monetary damage will
run close to a million dollars.
passenger arriving in Montreal
completely wrecked. Telegraph and
telephone communicate ton with the
town is cut off.
That the loss of life was not greater
is believed to be due to the fact that
the plant is composed of about $50
small shops. Only small number of
men are employed in each shop.
When the blast went off in one shop,
it is believed employees in the others
fled, and possibly escaped before the
fire spread and set off the remaining
explosives.
At the local offices of the Curtis &
Harvey company, Canada, limited, no
official report of the explosion had
been received up to noon. Six hun
dred men are employed at the plant
in four shifts
One Report. $50 Dead.
One report placed the number of
dead and injured at two hundred and
fifty, but this is probably an over
estimate as it could hardly reach that
figure unless the explosion happened
when the shifts were changing, when
there would probably be about three
hundred men around the plant.
A hospital train with doctors and
nurses has left Montreal for the scene
of the accident which is thirty-two
miles from this city
Number Dead Unknown.
Rigaud Que, Aug 1S.-The great
plant here of Curtis and Harvey, Linn
tied, explosive manufacturers, was
wrecked today by series of terrific
explosions and buried beneath the
ruins of a dozen or so StrI lures that
comprised the factory are an I'M
known number of dead. The several
thousand male and female workers
employed at the plant were in the
danger zone for hours An early esti-
mate based on first reports, placed
the number of killed, at about $50,
but indications this Afternoon were
that there was comparatively few
A relief train arrived from Mon
trea1 at noon, bringing doctors and
nurses, but owing to the fierce heat
from the burning ruins Of the plant,
they were unable to approach.
The loss in the value of buildings
and stock will reach we'll Up into mill
lions.
Over Heated Machinery, Cause.
The explosion was caused by the
overheating of the machinery in the
nitric acid building. The flames leaped
along thru the building and another
explosion occurred. Most of the
workers, however, are believed to have
had ample time to escape. Other eX-
plosions occurred every five minutes
or so, shaking the surrounding country
like a series of earthquakes. Alto
gether fifteen decorations were count
ed.
One of the explosions blew down a
mum Der of houses in Dragon, where
most of the workers lived, and farm
houses in the vicinity also caught fire.
Provision was made by the people of
Rigaud for accommodating the home
less workers.