TERRIBLE DISASTER IN VIRGINIA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1643, 10 November 1873, Page 2

TERRIBLE DISASTER IN VIRGINIA.

A San Francisco despatch to the "New York Tribune," dated June 30, gives the following particulars- of a- >terrible*catas~ > : • trophe in Virginia City, Nevada .:— " Last night a terrible l explosion' of nitro-glycerine and giant powder.occurr.ed ~_ near the_ corner of Taylor "street" ancTß"*" street, killing 10 persons and wounding many others. A large number of persons - are missing, having probably; been buried beneath the debris. ; " The explosion of six cans of nitro-glycerine is 'supposed to have been the cause of the disaster, the concussion of which caused a second ex- •?' plosion of 501 bof giant powderj all of ;which was : stored beneath the room ■of General Van Bbkkeleh, the agent in this ; ciiy for the giant powder. : , iThe following buildings Jwere damaged r—rTheßankpf ■, California, the rear of Kennedy , and : Mallon's grocery, the Douglas building, . the upper portion of which! was used as a lodginghouse,' Daley's saloon, and 'Armory hall. Among ; the : killed, are ! Major-General Jacob L.;, Van Bbkkelen,^; ;;; J. P. Smith, hardware merchant';' Wil^ liam Davis, clerk ; S. P. Smith ; . Ben- , jamin Maudei, dry goods merchant ;'C; .[, , H. Knox, .; , of San Francisco ; • John Devine, Mrs Emily ; O'Connor, formerly; , of the International Hotel, of this city, h and Wm. H. Doane and daughter, eight years of age j of Gcldhill. The 1 body of' • Gen. Nan Bokkelen was found in acoruer-'!-of his room. His features were so bruised and charred as to be hardly recognisable. c< J. jD. Smith; and. his former clerk were found in Taylor, street, between B. and C. streets, about 50ft from the room occupied by jthem. ? z Both bodies were covered with debris, and were not got out until; morn- „ ing. Some-firemen saw Mr JEuox-iast-~ night, awd spoke to 1 Him. ! ; He"asted' for water, and said 'Boys, its no use; you cari't''Bave;; ; ma'''\His r ':boS[y ) ' with the ex- r ;j ception of the head, .was covered entirely -^ by fallen timber and bricks]^John Devine was killed .by, an iron door,, whichwas hurled a distance of about 100 ft. .A large, , number of working-men are now engaged 1 removing dirt and timber from the bodies of the remaining seven persons known to be beneath, and are working with almost superhuman efforts.. The buildinga in all, directions are shattered. ; There were w many narrow escapes. ; Sam Doake, and Charles B. Higgins were thrown down from their room in the Douglasa-building over Daley'* : Exchange, and were got out : with difficulty, both being slightly injured, : D. K. Blanchard was thrown from? his room to another several yards: distant, and escaped with slight injury.; Great excitement was caused, last night,: by screaming women on the top of the Douglass, building, which was at the time in flames. Ihey were finally rescued by Captain Frank Osbiston, assisted by the firemen. Another explosion 'took place at half-past ten this:/tnorning,vin the rear of .^ennedy and Mallon^ store, but no person was injured. The body, of Charles ; : H. Knoxhas just been taken from thei'de- i; bris, and is horribly charred and mangled. Gre?it axciteraent prevails .in, the city. Business is suspended, and all the schools closed; •■The : streets- 'are^crowded. : with men, women j ana" children; 'Ropes-;-' ' ; were drawn; across the streets, Vas the walls of the buildings were considered dangerous.! The vault of the ' Bank of California-' is cracked in several places, and the. business, has been -to D'riscoli^an'd 1 " Tris|;les' banking-house:' .It is now understood that there will not be any celebration! on the-..4th..0f. July,.,and_that~the._ r money collected for that purpose will be expSndedin burying the'unfortunate dead, .and jthe remainder distributed .amqng.the' different' fire companies, i^hecity -will go ' into mourning. All the' flags' are now* half-mast.-: It: iis>"now :* ascertained^VanVU Bo&celen had stored beneath his room six cansjof nitro-glycerine, 1501 b giant pbwder, and 2001 b black-rock blasting powder."