TERRIBLE EXPLOSION AND LOSS OF LIFE IN SAN FRANCISCO.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 323, 25 June 1875, Page 4

TERRIBLE EXPLOSION AND LOSS OF LIFE IN SAN FRANCISCO.

(Alta California, April 10.) No such melancholy and disastrous event, attended with loss of life and property, ha« transpired since the memorable explosion of nitroglycerine in Wells Fargo's, in 1866, that caused such a panic of excitement, as that occurring yesterday afternoon about three o'clock, at Hathaway's wharf. About the same hour the fire bells sounded the alarm of a fire on Seventh street, so that when an alarm was turned on from the direction of Brannan and Second streets, persons thought it was a continuation. The bell then sounded the general alarm, and gave evidence that a disastrous fire was raging in the direction of the water front, lustantly the populace flocked the streets as they ran for the scene of conflagration. Some messengers were met hurrying to the morgue to annonnce that there was not only a very large fire, but that it had been attended with fearful loss of life, to say nothing of the property destroyed. So intense was the excitement of the messengers, and disturbed the imaginations of all who heard them, that rumour announced twenty men, women, and children killed. A visit to the scene of disaster would baffle an effort at description. Masses of thick, black smoke enveloped that part of the city and bay, and continued to roll up from the reeking ruins of the warehouse and other structures that once stood at the intersection of Beale and Harrison streets. The outer walls of the bonded warehouse alone remained, and told with what fearful force the explosion had taken place; small frame shanties were scattered in chips all about the docks and in the bay, or burned to ashes. Buildings standing on the west side of Beale street, and remote some distance from the scene of the exploBion, were scorched, the paint curled on the doors and the glasses torn from the windows. Everywhere ruin and debris were observable. The houses that had stood in the vicinity of the warehouse were blown out of existence. The fire department soon had their forces concentrated on the ground, and set to work with their accustomed determination to suppress the flames, now doing the work of consuming the already scattered frame-work and other combustibles. The police force, under Captain Douglas, ran the boundary ropes about the territory of the blackened space and aided the work of recovering the bodies . of those reported under the ruins. It was known that the saloon, the coffee-house, a house or two used by a couple of poor families as dwellings, had been occupied, and the inmates were missed. After diligent search in the vicinity of the spot where the explosion was said to have occurred, a ghastly human form, black, charred, and smoking, was brought forth—a horrid sight that chilled and sickened the thousands of people who had assembled and taken up positions in every conceivable place where a view could be obtained. The body was thnt of a man, but so begiimed and burnt out of all semblance to anything as to be unrecognisable. It was placed in a waggon, but before it could be removed the cry went up that still another body had been found. It too was raked up from the bottom of the burning debris, and likewise proved to be the remains of a young man. It was a steaming and noisome mass of roasted and shapeless flesh. This body being placed in the waiting waggon, was soon joined by a third, which the diligent firemen had just recovered. One of the bodies is believed to have been that of Clark, employed in blasting at Rincon Rock. One of the other bodies is supposed to be that of the unfortunate saloon-keeper Haas, who had his room next door to the room in which was the explosive. He was there with his wife and a son aged ten years. Wonderful to say, the mother and child were not killed, yet were badly wounded, both being stunned and severely cut. They were taken to St Mary's Hospital The third body recovered was that of Engles, the proprietor of the coffee-house next to Haas' saloon. The bodies were taken to the morgue, and there visited by hundreds during the rest of the evening. There were a number of persons wounded more or less by falling timbers, concussions, and otherwise, who were taken to St Mary's Hospital. The explosion occurred at 3 o'clock p m , in the office of J. N. Risdon, who has charge of the removal of Rincon Rock. One ton of giant powder is said to have been stored in the office. The explosion was caused by the man Clark, in the employ of Risdon, who was charging the cartridges used for blasting with the powerful powder. He had been employed for a year past at the same work. It is supposed that in filling one of the cartridges he rammed the powder too hard, which caused it to explode. One of tbe re porters was informed that the cause of the explosion was a Chinaman, who was nailing down the cover of a box that contained nitroglycerine cartridges, to be used in blasting at Rincon Rock. The concussion is supposed to have caused their discharge. But this is improbable. One of Elliott Brothers, teamsters, with a four-horse team, was unloading near the wharf, when the explosion occurred. He was knocked senseless, and the horses stunned, to use his own expression. "His horses were stunned and turned completely around, entangled in their harness." The waggon was completely covered with the debris from the buildings destroyed. F, C, Lowrey, foreman of Hathaway's warehouse, was the only man in the building, and was making preparations to close the doors at the time of the explosion. The sensation experienced by him was similar to that of an earthquake, and which he supposes was the cause of the shaking of the building, and the dropping of glasses from the skylights. S. P. Lassin's saloon, situated on the south-west corner of Fremont and Harrison streets, had every pane of glass broken in the building, but no person was injured. Captain Baker, of the ship Germania, in company with Captain Bates, of the Amethyst, and Green!eaf, were in the building but ten minutes previous to the explosion. These gentlemen had jut reached Howard street when they were Btartled by a loud noise, similar to that produced by the discharge of a park of artillery. The entire |,damage will probably make up a total of 75,000d0l or 80,000dol. On Spear street Corvallis owned one of the small sheds destroyed. It was of little value. Reilley and Vest had a hay and grain store on the same street, which was entirely destroyed. Their loss will be about 5000dols, for their insurance only amounted to that The little shanty occupied by the unfortunate Haas and his wife was owned by him. There were other tenement houses along the same block which belonged to Risdon, but they were old and of small value. One of them was occupied. by Thompson. Coroner Swan called at the Alta office at 10 o'clock last night to give the intelligence (bat another of the unfor-

tunates who had been taken in a mangled condition to St Mary's Hospital died at that place in the early part of the night. His name was M'lntee. He had suffered dreadful agonies from his bruises, besides fractures of the arms and contusions about the head, and doubtless death was a welcome relief. During the day fifteen married men and women were taken there, but six of them were removed to their homes, leaving nine iu the hospital. The sad calamity cast a mournful shade over the city, and during the evening it was the general topic with every one. N o such horror has stunned the community for years, and it is to be hoped none such will ever again startle us.