The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 22, 1895, Page 1

VOLUME LXXVIL—NO. 163. SAN FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY MORNING, MAY 29, 1895. PRICE FIVE CENTS. DEATH’S AWFUL HARVEST AT PINOLE. Many Lives Go Out in a Terrific Explosion in the Nitro-Glycerine House of the California Powder Company. MEN TORN TO SHREDS. Five Whites and at Least Eight Chinese Known to Have Been Killed. LIEE AN EARTHQUAKE SHOCK. Only Great Holes In the Earth Mark ; the Place Where the Bulld- H Ings Stood. PINOLE, Car., May 21.—Thirteen men are known to have lost their lives this morn- ing in the explosion that occurred at the nitro-glycerine house of the California Powder Comyany’s works at this place. Five of these were white men and the | others were Chinamen., The white men were: 0. Clare Johnson, foreman of the nitro- glycerine house. Harry Minnaugh, assistant foreman. Charles Venegas. David Dean. Walter Taylor, foreman of the mixing- house, in which the nine Chinese were also employed. This is probably the most serious ex- plosion of the kind that has ever occurred on the Coast. It came in three successive shocks about 10:45 o’clock in the mor ning, and was distinctly felt and heard as far off as Oaklund and Alameda, where many people supposed it to be an earthquake. Most of the buildings at the company’s plant were affected by the shock and many of them were either totally or partially one living has the remotest idea of what caused the explosion—at least that is what the officials and workmen of the vlant who were on the ground at the time declare—nor is it expected that the most careful searching will reveal anything more than a probable cause. “I have never had a more competent, more steady, conscientious and reliable crew at work in the nitro-glycerine house than were these poor fellows whose re- mains are now scattered to the winds,” said Acting Superintendent Pollock this afternoon. ‘“‘Every possible safeguard was employed, and one ¢an scarcely guess even as to the cause of this terrible accident.” It is known almost to a certainty that the nine Chinese were killed, but how many more than that may be dead may never be Known, and this is due to the fact that as soon as the astonished Celestials who es- caped the doom could regain their senses they cat off over the hills as fast as their legs would carry them. In all there were about sixty Chinamen employed at the works. This afternoon there was not one on the grounds, and it is likely many of them will never return to give an accounting of themselves and enable the company to ascertain the exact number of those who lost their lives. Some of the workmen said they thought twenty Chinamen would be a closer esti- mate to the number killed. The Mongolians known to be killed were: Lem Lock, Li Chung, Wong Chau, Gun Sing, Ham Chee, Sing Hong, Hong ‘Wah and Long See. Most of these killed by the explosion were literally blown to atoms. All the afternoon men with gunny sacks ‘were poking about among the ruins and for more than a hundred yards about vicking up bits and seraps of human flesh and bones and garments. While Superin- tendent Pollock stood on the tramway overlooking the scene of the frightful accident, explaining to the newsgatherers the position of the buildings before the shock came, an old man climbed up the hill and held out some rags in his hand. “That’s a piece of poor Taylor’s coat,” he said. Some of the workmen examined it and confirmed the statement. “That Is all that has been found of Tay- lor yet,” said Pollock. There was silence in the group then for an instant. Johnson’s body was horribly mutilated when found at the top of the hill, about 200 yards from the scene of the explosion. One foot hung by a thread to the ankle, The left leg was missing entirely. Some few pieces of tattered clothing still hung to the body. The face, strange to say, was not badly disfigured, and from it the iden- | tity of the body was easily recogn‘.zable.i Johnson—Clare Johnson everybody called him—was a general favorite at the works and is spoken of as a young man of most exemplary habits. He was 27 years of age and was onty married last December. His | ruins had been very thoroughly searched by that time. Venegas had charge of the washhouse, a division of the nitro-glycerine house, where the combustion is supposed to have originated. He boarded on the grounds, and had a father, mother and brother liv- ing at Martinez. He was 25 years old. Davis Dean was a Pinole boy, born and raised here, He boarded with the com- pany and has a brother working in the acid department of the same works. His father and mother reside at Pinole. He was be- tween 22 and 23 years of age. Not a trace of his body has been found yet, though 1t is thought it may be under the collapsed acid warehouse that stood about 200 feet | up on the hill above the nitro-glycerine house. He hasbeen missing since early in the morning, and was last sent into the washhouse, where he probably was at the tiwe of tne explosion. Walter Taylor was a Nova Scotian by birth, and 27 years old. He had worked for the comvpany about six years and as bhad. These were not destroyed, bu collapsed rather by the vacuum formed in the atmosphere after the concussion. Fred H. Dorhman was the only nitro- glycerine man who escaped. Justa short time before the explosion he had com- pleted his day’s work, having been on since 3 o’clock in the morning and gone home. 3 On the very brow of the hill stood the re- claiming works, where W. C. Bennettalone was at work. His building was partly de- molished, and he was blinded and fell to the floor three times before he could reach the door. It fell to his lot to be the only man alive who was near the nitro-glycer- ine house at the fatal moment. “I was working over my pans, separ- ating the nitrate from the sulphuric acid, doing what is called reclaiming work, | when the crash came,” he says. “First I heard a loud and sharp report that seemed to come from the washhouse. I turned and made for the door. In flashlike succession two other shocks came, each more deafening and tre- mendous than the other, and before I could reach the door I was thrown violently to the ground three times. I was dazed and blind and dumb when I reached the door. My head swam, and I | almost lost consciousness. “The air was thick with smoke and dust | T engineer and Mr. Pollock narrowly es- | from that part of the works, because there caped death or serious injury from flying debris and falling timbers, Some of the other men were severely though not seriously hurt by the falling debris. Most of these were near to or in the vacking-honse, which is located several hundred yards to the left of the mixing- house. This was badly shattered, and those inside narrowly escaped death. H. T. Cramer, an old employe of the company, was working there. He stood athis post when the shock came, and even after it had gone. He was struck by some falling timbers, but was only scratched a little. His assistant foreman, Winfield S. Crater, was also in the packing-house. Joe Driggs, known as “Long Joe,”’ was cut a little by flying plate glass. One Garcia, who was in the packing-house, was slightly injured and thrown down by the shock. Antone Johnson, in charge of the boiler-house, was also hurt a little. Late in the afternoon a party of search- ers returned to the impromptu deadhouse | with, three gunnysacks full of odds and ends of human bones and flesh they had picked up on the side of the hill. The Jargest remnant they had was the leg of a Chinaman, torn off at the hip. There was a skull, several ribs, some pieces of vertebre and a hip bone. Allthe | rest of their ghastly find was in small pieces, not one as big as a man’s hand. The CaLr man asked several of the work- men how they supposed the accident oc- curred. Their answers were uniformly in the negative. Said one old man: wae a deal of loose powder scattered about on the ground. Coroner Curry came down from Mar- tinez early in the afternoon. He impan- eled a jury and took the jurors out to view the remains and the scene of the explo- sion. Friday morning the inquest will be held, but no one expects that any more light will then be thrown uvon the cause of the horror, though probably some more human fragments will have been found. Harry Minnaugh was an old hand at the business, and had in his time mixed the powder for the Hell Gate explosion in New York harbor. Venegas worked for this company many years ago, and had for several years been a guard at San Quentin under Warden Hale. Of the Chinamen killed, the best known was Lem Lock, who was known as the oil- carrier. He had been in the works here a good many years, and was a general favor- ite, even among the Caucasians. It was his duty to carry oil in small tanks be- tween the glycerine-house and the mixing- house. A great many women, relatives and friends of the dead men and some of those who escaped, came oat to the grounds this afternoon and there were many pathetic scenes at and near the deadhouse, where the fragments of the bodies lay on the cold, concrete floor, covered with gunny sacks. Captain John Bermingham is the presi- dent and John Nesmith the secretary of the California Powder Company. Neither of them were at the works to-day. Wil- e NS / 1\“\@\} “Pj\&\\\‘fi“ \\\ SCENE OF THE EXPLOSION AT THE PINOLE POWDER WORKS. [Sketched by a A DEEP HOLE NOW MARKS THE SPOT WHERE THE NITRO- GLYCERINE HOUSE STOOD. “Call” artist.] boarded on the grounds. No trace of his body has been found, except the piece of cloth found by the old man. The company’s grounds, at Pinole, em- brace about 200 acres, and include a plant that is valued at about $1,000,000. Acting Superintendent Pollock said this evening that the monetary loss by the explosion would not amount to more than from $18,000 to $20,000, and the most of this damage is due to the material and ingre- dients lost. Though several buildings were completely demolished, they were all frame structures and will be replaced at no great cost within the next thirty days. The company employs at this place about 140 hands, all told, 80 of whom are white men and boys and the others Chinese. These works are known as the Hercules Department of the California Powder Company’s works, another depart- ment of which is located at Santa Cruz. The works at Pinole are fourteen years old, and in that time there have been six explosions. The last one occurred March 27,1892. It was caused by fire,and as comely young wife—now widow—came out | there was plenty of time to sound the to the works at once and was almost wild with grief when she heard that her hus- band was one of the victims. They had a pretty little home on the main road be- tween San Pablo and Pinole. Johnson was highly prized as a skilled workman by the company. He neither drank, smoked nor possessed any bad hab- ialarm 1o one was injured. In 1886 there iwns an explosion of the nitro-glycerine | bouse, that caused the death of two white | men and forty Chinese. Altogether in the fourteen years of its existence sixty China- men and nine white men are known to | have lost their lives here by explosions. The plant is by far the biggest one on the its. He was a Canadian by birth and had | coast, and s claimed to be the most exten- worked on his father’s ranch at Giant sta- | tion until three years ago, when he was first employed at the powder works. Harry Minaugh’s body, or what was re- covered of it, was found just outside of the big excavation left by the concussion. Only the breast, head and arms were intact. All the lower part of the body was blown away. Minaugh boarded at the company’s house on the grounds, but leaves a widow | and seven children in Oakland, who reside at 2269 Telegraph avenue. He was about 45 years old and was one of the most trusted employes-on the place. Charles Venega8 was to have been mar- | ried to-morrow to the sister of Pedro Higuera, who works in the acid depart- ment at the other side of the hill. Miss - Higuera was early on the scene, and so great was the unfortunate girl's excite- ment that it was necessary to restrain her from rushing into the nitrate warehouse, | which was for the time being used as the dead house. But her errand there would have been fruitless. Not a trace of her lover's body had been found up to dark to-night, though the ) | siveone in the world. The company was overrun with work. Many of the depart- ments were running day and night, and | still the plant found it impossible to fill all their orders promptly. The terrific force of the explosion was apparent in the harvest of debris it reaped. At the foot of the east side of the hill that divided the grounds stood the nitro-glycerine house. It was a structure 100 feet long by 30 feet in width, and con- tained many heavy metai tanks and vats, each capable of holding several barrels of fluid. To the left of the nitro-glycerine house, about 150 feet, stood the mixing. house. All around them and between them grew quite a dense forest of tall eucalyptus, pines and cypress. ‘When the smoke and dust of the debris had cleared away after the dreadful con- cussion, only great holes in the earth were left to mark the spot where these structures and the surrounding trees had been. Sitting higher up the hill were the glycerine and acid warehouses. They were both tenantless at the time of the ex- plosion. The former was entirely aemol- ished, and the acid warehouse was almost and flying bits of wood and iron and | debris, and the timbers of the building | ‘were wrenched. I could hear them creak- | ing and groaning and falling. Of course, as soon as [ could think at all I knew what | had happened, and came down the hill to | help find the dead. I have heard and seen | other powder explosions, but none likc‘ this.” | and soda. A curving tin roof surmounted this structure. This tin was almost com- pletely lifted from the roof boards by the suction of the air, though in other re- spects the building suffered but little dam- age. Still further away is the big frame stable. v This was badly shattered by the shock. The blacksmith-shop where Superintend- ent Pollock stood talking with the en- gineer at the time of the explo- slon, was wrecked, and both the Several hundred yards away, on the west | side of the hill, is the substantial brick and | sacriticed to-day went to work, with the stone structure used for storing the nitrate | exception of Taylor, at 3 o’clock in the “It is part of the business. That is all there is to it. No one knows, and no one ever will know. No one out here even thinks of inquiring the cause. That would be foolish.” At this plant the company manufactures Hercules powder and dynamite, and the most dangerous part of the work is in the nitro-glycerine house and the mixing de- partment. The men whose lives were THE OLOUD OF SMOKE FROM THE EXPLOSION AS SEEN FROM MEIGGS WHARF HALF A MINUTE BEFORE THE REFORT. [Sketched for the “Cali” by Couiter.] e e e e S DO S S SV e e T morning and had nearly completed their day’s work. At the packing-house the men were busy putting the finmished product into ecar- tridges. Their work is rather®dangerous too, and it is thought almost a marvel that they escaped so luckily. Immediately after the tragedy all the powder was taken out of the packing-house and removed to the subterranean magazines for safety in | shelves. case of fire, and all the rest of the day a guard on the tramway kept all visitors ) liam R. Quinine, a relative of the famous scientist, is superintendent of the works, but A. T. Pollock, his assistant, was in charge to-day. One of the curious things abont the ex- plosion is the experience of the telegraph operator at the Oakland mole. The oper- ator at Pinole had his hands on the key when the crash came, and immediately flashed the news down the road. ‘It was nearly a minute after the news of the explosion had reached me by wire,” says the operator at the mole, “when the crash came and nearly shook me off my seat. It was the most peculiar sensation T have ever experienced—to know of the ex- plosion before it impressed itself on my senses.” The Explosion Felt at Stanford. STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Car., May 21.—A slight shock of earthquake was felt here this mornng at 10:42. There were vibrations from north to south, lasting about a second. No damage resulted. FELT IN THIS CITY. A White Volume of Smoke Seen Above the Eastern Hills. The concussion was distinctly felt in this City, especially along the water-front stores and saloons, where windows rattled and light objects were jarred from the A few seconds preceding the explosion a white volume of smoke was seen to suddenly spring up over the hills bordering the bay and spread itself out in the air not nnlifie a reat vapory tree. In a few minutes it gung a striking and beautiful speciacle in the air. About fifteen minutes after the shock a heavy swell sweeping across tne bay from the eastern shore reached this side. A Chapter of Hollister Accidents. HOLLISTER, CAr., May 21.—In a run- away accident to-day William Snibley, a liveryman, was seriously injured intern- ally. Jesus Lacosti, while chasing a steer, fell under his horseand his leg was broken. Charles O'Connell was thrown from a saddle-horse and dragged a long distance. His leg was cut open from knee to thigh. The three accidents occurred within an hour. TSt | ‘A Petaluma Physician Injured. PETALUMA, CAL., May 21.—Dr. L. H. Patty, a well-known physician, was badly injured this morning in & runaway acci- dent. He was seated in a closed hack, which was overturned and dragged a con- THE PACIFIC SLOPE Fresno Pledges Rights of Way to the New Railroad. ALASKA NEWS BUDGET. Alleged Smuggilers of Chinese and Opium on Trial at Portland. A. P. A'S WIN AT STOCKTON. A Los Angeles Attorney Arrested for Embezzlement—Selzure: In Bering Sea. FRESNO, CAr., May 21.—The first def- inite action in regard to securing the rights of way, depot and machine sites, etc., for the valley road was taken at an enthusi- astic meeting of the Chamber of Com- merce this evening. The committee which met the directors of the road on the occasion of their recent visit to Fresno and the towns south re- ported to the Chamber what the railroad men expected. They ask Fresno people to give right of way from one side of the county to the other, together with forty acres in this city for the location of machine-shops. This demand is to be met, and the Chamber discussed at length the best means of interesting property - owners throughout the county in the project and inducing them to subscribe to the fund that it will be necessary to raise. It is believed that about $20,000 will be needed for the purchase of the land required, and this amount will be raised by popuiar sub- scription. Many speeches were made, and every one was enthusiastic in the matter. After considerable discussion, A. J. Pedlar, Harry Sherwood, F. K. Prescott, Louis Einstein and W. J. Dickey were appointed a committee to act with a committee of the same number from the Hundred Thousand Club in the matter of getting subscriptions and rights-of way. The two leading improvement organizations of the county will thus be represented. A mass-meeting will be held as soon as the committee has organized and a state- ment of what has been done will be laid before the citizens for their indorsement. Permanent offices will be opened by the joint committee as headquarters for rail- road work. ‘A separate committee will be chosen to get rights of way through the country outside of Fresno. The Hundred Thousand Club will at once appoint their committee, and the work will be actively pushed. 5 IR b PORTLAND SMUGGLING CASE. The Trial of Ex-Collector of Customs ZLotan and Seid Back Begins. PORTLAND, Or., May 21.—The third trial of James Lotan, ex-Collector of Cus- toms, and Seid Back, a wealthy Chinese merchant, for conspiracy to smuggle Chinese into this port, began in the United States District Court to-day. At the former trial two years ago the jury dis- agreed. Nathan Blum, who.has confessed that he was the leader of a gigantic con- spiracy to smuggle opium and Chinese from British Columbia, is here to testify for the prosecution, having arrived from San Francisco last night. At the former trial Blum testified that his gang had smuggled into this port dur- ing the previous year about nine tons of opium, thus defrauding the Government out of nearly $200,000 in duty on the drug. William Dunbar, a partner of Blum and owner of the steamship Haytian Republic, was convicted and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in jail and to pay a heavy fine. Pending an appeal to the United States Supreme Court, he was admitted to bail. Before the Supreme Court handed down its decision which confirmed the decree of the lower court Dunbar went to China, where he is now sojourning, and it is bardly probable that he will return to serve his sentence and answer to the addi- tional indictments against him. C. J. Mulkey, ex-special agent of the Treasury, already convicted of conspiracy to smuggle, will also be tried on the addi- tional indictments. It is probable that a number of others now under indictments for the same offense will be tried before the adjournment of court. —— FROM JUNEAU TO FORTY-MILE. Descent of the Yukon in Winter Accom- plished by a Lone Traveler. SBEATTLE, WasH., May 21.—The City of Topeka arrived from Alaska to-day. It brought the news that Guy C. Merriam arrived early in May at Juneau from Ko- diak Island and left at once for Forty-Mile, whence he came in the winter via St. Michaels, a journey of 4000 miles, by dog team and cance. He was the first man to descend the Yukon in winter alone, ex- cept for native guides, and suffered ter- ribly from cold and hunger. Alfred Hespeter has left Juneau, after borrowing indiscriminately and giving checks on Dexter, Horton & Co. of Seattle. He said he intended to stop at Wrangle, but bis creditors have sent to his father for the collection of his debts. Dr. Eli Quigley died at Douglas City on May 10, from injuries to the spine, caused by falling from the wharf while drunk. He was an Iowan, graduated at Keokuk Medical College and leaves two sons in Alaska and two daughters in Seattle. Edgar Wilson, who, with John J. Healy, established a trading post at Dyea in 1887, died May 15. Editor John Timmins has been held in $7500 bail for his murderous assault on Editor Frank Howard, at Juneau on April 16. o A L LOS ANGELES ARREST. 4 Prominent Attorncy Held for an Alleged Embezzlement LOS ANGELES, CAL., May 21.—Charles W. England, an attorney of this city, was arrested this afternoon by Deputy Sheriff Eagle of Tonoka, Ark, England was once president of a bank at Lanabe, near Little siderable distance. Hisleft arm wasbroken | Rock, and is charged with the embezzle- and his face badly cut. He will recover, ment of county funds to the extent of l $7000. He says the arrest is simply a piece of spite work. England said the institution of which he was president was compelled to close its doors during the financial crisis seyeral years ago. Some time before the bank went under there was $12,000 of the county’s funds on deposit. As'the State Treasurer’s accounts were found to be short, the Legislature passed a law making it embezzlement for any cor- poration or individual to accept for safe- keeping the funds of a county official, and directing that all moneys be turned over to the ones who shall be in possession. The county’s money was being returned in in- stallments when the financial depression struck the blow and the bank suspended, owing the county $7000. S i STOCKTION’S ELECTION, The A.P. A. Makes Almost a Clean Sweep of the Municipal Offices. STOCKTON, CAL., May 21.—In the elec- tion of city officers to-day the members of the A. P. A. showed unexpected strength and carried everything before them. The fight has been the most bitter one in years. The A.P. A, not feeling that they had strength to capture the Republican and Democratic conventions, put a ticket of their own in the field under the name of ‘‘non-partisans.” They were well organ- ized and made a vigorous fight. The A.P.A. elected H.N. Baggs for Mayor, whose plurality is 354; G. A. Bid- well for Superintendent of Streets on a plurality of 256; F. M. Rowe as Assessor, 32 plurality; I. 8. Haines for Treasurer, 718 plurality. Haines also received the Re- publican vote, they having no nominee against him. The A. P. A. also elected one Councilman. The Democrats elected J. M. McCall as City Clerk by 99 plurality; H. T. Compton, Surveyor, 357 plurality, and one Council- man, J. J. Quinn, by 16 plurality. The Republicans elected five library trustees, who also received the A. P. A. vote. The Republicans also elected H. O. Holman and C. J. Jones, School Directors, with the opposition of the A. P. A. The Republicans elected one Council- man at large, who also had the A. P. A. vote, and two other Republican Council- men were elected, giving the Republicans control of the City Council. The A. P. A.s are having a great demon- stration here to-night. S NAPA BANDIT ARRAIGNED. The Preliminary Hearing of Stage Rob- ber Breckinridge Commences. NAPA, CaL., May 21.—The preliminary examination of R. N. Breckinridge on a charge of highway robbery began in Jus- tice Bradford’s court this morning. Dis- trict Attorney Bell appeared for the people and Henry Hogan represented the defend- ant. A. R. Palmer, driver of the Calistoga and Lakeport stage, and E. J. Lynch and H. J. Gerdes, passengers on the stage the day of the robbery, were examined and told tne story of the hold-up substantially as already reported in the Carn. The ex- amination will be continued to-morrow. English, the wounded robber, is rapidly improving now and will doubtless recover. e e BERING SEA SEIZURE. The British Schooner Shelby Taken in Charge by the Corwin. SEATTLE, Wass.,, May 21. — Several days before the Topeka left the revenue cutter Corwin seized the British sealing schooner Shelby for violating the sealing laws and brought her into Sitka. She was turned over to the British cruiser Pheas- ant, who sent her to Victoria. This is the first seizure this season. plns ity Attempted Escape at San Bernardino. SAN BERNARDINO, CaL., May 21.— John Frasier, an inmate of the County Jail, was this morning detected in cutting his way out of the jail window with a file. As he was confined for vagrancy for thirty days only it issupposed he must be wanted elsewhere for a more serious offense or he would not have attempted to break jail, An inquiry will be made by the officials. R TR Runaway Accident at Fairfleld. FAIRFIELD, Car, May 21. — Judge Huckins and George Hall were badly in- jured in a runaway accident here to-day. They were driving a team of colts, which became unmanageable, and both were thrown from the carriage. Judge Huckins’ shoulder was dislocated and he lost three teeth. Hall was badly bruised. —_—— Indorsed John P. Irish’s Decision. FRESNO, Car., May 21.—The Chamber of Commerce to-night unanimously passed aresolution indorsing the decision of John P. Irish regarding the payment of a duty on Zante currants. (e Killed at Los Angeles. LOS ANGELES, Can., May 21.—Albert Christoffsen, a Swedish house-mover, was crushed to death this morning under a building being moved on Broadway. For additional Pacific Coast news see Pages 2 and § Others Failed Hood’s Cured Mr. C. 8. Groby is a well - known resident of Dayton, Ohio, and a promi- nent member of the K. of P. He says: “I bad two severe attacks of inflam- matory rheuma- tism. Itried three of our home physi- cians. but realized scarcely any relief. I took medicines faithfully, but was unable to see any improvement. I then visited a specialist, paid him $50, but he did menogood. I was then advised to take Hood’s Sarsaparilla. Idid so, and before Istopped 1 bad taken fifteen bottles, a bottle just lasting me one month, as I took it very regularly, three times a day at meal times. Ever since I took Hood’s Sarsaparilla I have been entirely free from rheumatism.” Hood’s Sarsaparilla Is the Only True Bloed Purifier This is why it cures even when all other medicines fail. Insist upon Hood’s. Hoad’s Pills 3 Rhot'sioonrias, 0 '