Evening star., 1927-11-13

ii DleW uD June .. 1900. w IldI
follows was published in the
W Alexandria News:
About O'Clock this after
noon this place was startled by tre-
mendous explosion which shook the
houses in many parts of the city,
breaking glass, jarring down plaster
ing. etc. The shock was caused by
the explosion of the Fort Lyon maga'
zine. situated on Ballengers Hill, on
the opposite side of Hunting Creek.
about a mile and half distant.
"A gentleman just from the fort
gives a terrible account OF the ex.
plosion. He reports 90 men attached
to the garrison killed and about 81
seriously wounded. Two men were
thrown nearly 200 yards and landed
ON their feet in the fall without being
seriously injured and walked back TO
the fort without assistance. Most OF
the wounded will die. Most or those
killed were in the magazine procuring
powder for practice on the garrison
guns. and, as their death was instan'
taneous. the cause of the explosion
can never be known. One of the men
attached to the garrison says ne no
ticed that two of the men who went
into the magazine had pipes smok-
ing.
Every tent within the fort was
torn to fragments and some OF the
guns disnounted, but the fort was
not materially damaged and before
dark will be repaired. Fortunately
another magazine of larger size and
filed with powder did not explode
although but a short distance from
the one demolished
The Alexandria News published the
following June 10. which The Star
republshed June II. 1863, under the
head of Fort Lyon Explosion:
I'm addition to what We stated yes,
terday we learned that - were killed
and from Is to 20 wounded, some OF
them very seriously. Twenty-three
men were employed. in the magazine,
in charge of Lieut.. Keener. Twenty
s. OF these were killed and two OF the
guards on duty nearby: Lieut.
Keener had one leg taken off near the
hin and his skull crushed in shock
ing manner and several OF the others
killed were found without heads
arms or legs The party killed were
in one part Of the magazine reloadine
shells and it is conjectured that some
friction caused one OF them to ex
plode."
The Fort Lyon explosion was one
oF two Civil War explosions at anc
near Washington which killed many
nersons. One was the explosion II
the cartridge-loading building at th'
Arsenal, July II, 1854. A monumeh
near the main west gate Of Congress
-4ional Cemetery stands at the graV'
OF most Of those killed in the Arsena
explosion and gives the names OF i
women and one man killed.
Perhaps you noticed that the Alex
sndria News said that Fort Lyon stoo'
on Ballengers Hill south of Hunting
Creek. A long time ago-it must haV'
been fifteen years-the Rambler wen
10 all the Civil War forts-their re
mains or sites-which formed 'tssc de
g fenses. of Washington. The followin,
paragraphs are from one of those OIL
rambles on the forts south Of Huntint
Creek:
"On the fat top of ridge tha
looks north across the halfmile-wid
valley of Hunting Creek, or Cameron
Run. and from which the housetop
of Alexandria and the high landmark
of Washington can he seen, stand fou
gloomy old field forts and long broa
lines Of infantry parapet, built durin
the early months of the Civil War an
forming the south end, on the VII