Year: 1873

y
the effects of severe accident
met with two weeks ago), young
Davis, was found in the middle of
Taylor street. The body of Char
lie Knox was taken from the ruins
about III o'clock to-day, and was
scarcely recognizable. At noon
Billy Lows watch and fragments
OF a body supposed to be his)
were taken out.


THE EXPLOSION


Was doubtless the work of nitro
glycerine, as we learn that six
cans of this pent-up lightning
were stored in the building, under
the rooms of Van Bokkelen and
Smith, on Friday last. Gen. Van
Bokkelen was the local agent of
several powder companies-is said
to have been agent for black, giant
and Hercules powder. Recently,
as we learn, he had been making
a series of experiments with these
several explosives, and we get 1t
from pretty good authority that
on Friday last he received and
StVtCu uIluCI Ills ucu IOOul uIu
office six cases of nitro-glycerihe.
This, with about 100 pounds Of
giant powder, pc, haps as much
hercules, and over 200 pounds of
black or blasting powder, was
stored in the B-Taylor streets l. of
the Root building. AT the time
of the explosion number of min
ers coming up town in the face of
the wind from the burning wreck
distinctly recognized the fumes of
giant powder. Giant powder is
nitro-glycerine in different form.
Giant powder would have pro-
duced the conclusion, perhaps.
but 100 nor 1000 pounds of it could
not have produced the disaster,
because it would have worked
different would have rent the
solid earth instead of shattering
distant buildings with the frag-
ments of the one in which it eX-
ploded. The sensation of nearly
every one in Mrs. Taylor's lodging
house was that of general up
heaval and the resultant crash,
but those who preserved sufficient
presence of mind to notice eXter-
nal things, say that the explosion
seemed to come from General Van
Bokkelen's room. General Van
Bokkelen was doubtless in bed as
he was undressed, when the eX-
plosion occurred, and his body was
found several feet north Of his
room. The body Of Davis was
found forty feet north of his room.
and that of Smith had been thrown
fifty feet north. The other bodies
found were Immediately under
the rooms occupied by them in
life. Giant powder is supposed to
explode only by concussion;


NITRo-GLYCERINE EXPLODES
Without apparent cause. Gener-
al Van Bokkelen, though a cau-
tious and prudent man, had a pet
monkey in his room, and proba-
bly, had small or large quantities
of both giant powder and nitro
glycerine also. He entered his
room only about twenty minutes
before the explosion, and doubt
less proceeded ct once to undress.
While his lamp was still burning,
the monkey probably got on a
jamboree and upset the lamp or a
can of glycerine. OF course, the
truth will never be known.


WILD RUMORs


Flew from mouth to mouth to the
effect that an attempt had been
made to blow up the Bank Of Cal
ifornia for purposes of robbery !;
but single thought would dispel
such an idea and hold it up to
ridicule; as, with the exception
of the burning Of the stories above
the bank vault. no damage was
sustained by that institution.
The lights in the banking depart
ment Of the building burned stead
ily until daylight this morning.
and wOrkmen were engaged in
throwing quicksilver from the
bank floor into the basement and
opening the hatchway, so that the
vast quantity of mercury therein
would be flooded and saved from
eyaporization and the thousands
of workers and spectators saved
IrOIQ SallNdtlOu. IOA Chlo CHOuSh0
full act our citizens are indebted to
A. J. Ralston, Agent, and }. X.
Martin.


INCENDIARY FIRES


Were reported in three or four
different places in the city soon
after the explosion, but OF the
number reported we found but
one incipient confiagration that
seemed to have been purposeiy
started. That was in the rear OF
the Enterprise office. A candle
had been left in an open shed so
as to communicate its flame with
some greasy waste" paper:
but whether this was the work OF
an incendiary, or of an excited IN
dividual who had gone into the
basement story of the building TO
look after some trunks, or OF prl-
vate"special" who desired to make
a display of his vigilance, we
know not. A fire was reported at
the gas works. another at the Col.
lins House, and still another at