Wednesday, August 08, 2007

EXPLOSION OF DYNAMITE KILLS TWO SWITCHMEN Car Containing' Powder and Shells Blows up in Railroad Yards inMichigan.




BAY CITY, Mich.. Sept. 13.—Clarence D. Hopper and Roy Boucher, switchmen of the Michigan Central Railway, were killed to-day by an explosion of dynamite In a car In the yards at West Bay City. Robert Roblln, engineer, William Noble, fireman, and John C. Cradle, contractor, were Injured, the latter so severely that he may die. All of the trainmen were residents of this city.


The explosion occurred as a'switch engine was making up a train. The engine backed down upon several cars, the first containing 1000 pounds of dynamite, .a consignment of Lee-Metford rifles and a practice, and it is said that the force with which it struck the explosive laden car exploded the dynamite. Another report has it that one of the shells exploded and set off the dynamite. Hopper's body was badly mangled. A big hole was torn in the ground by the explosion, a score of freight cars demolished and  nearly 300 houses In the vicinity suffered, broken windows. Several houses were so badly wrecked as to . be uninhabitable. The
shock wave felt three miles from the scene.





I hadn't heard of this disaster.  The Bay City papers were no doubt filled wirh information on this topic.  The article above is from the San Francisco Call  Sept 14, 1903



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