Mobile, AL The Great Magazine Explosion, May 1865 - Further Particulars

THE EXPLOSION AT MOBILE.

Further Particulars of the Disaster.
[From the Nashville Morning News, May 20]

The truth of the matter as regards the cause of the accident will never be known, for, of course, every one in or near the building was killed instantly. A man who left the building some ten minutes before the explosion took place, is said by rumor to have told of a man named Pat. ______, striking a match to light his pipe, being engaged at the time in either filling or removing powder from some shells stored in the ordnance depot.

Another rumor has it that a shell – percussion shell – was let fall by someone and burst, and thus ignited the balance of the ammunition in the place.

This is all supposition, and as no one can prove or dispute it, it will ever remain an unsettled question.

As soon as the explosion was hear, Major General Granger and Colonel Shipley repaired to the scene of destruction, where they remained, giving directions and seeing them carried out.

The General dispatched a messenger to Brigadier General Dennis, ordering him to detail all the soldiers in the city and vicinity, and to impress all the men found in the streets to aid in rescuing the wounded and staying the progress of the fire, and in twenty minutes an efficient body of men was on the ground.

Prominent in the work of rescuing the poor unfortunates who were buried in the debris of the falling buildings, were, as usual, our brave sailors and soldiers. We saw sailors rush through the fire and falling bricks as though they were proof against the accidents common to all men, and come out bearing in their arms some poor fellow, burned or crushed almost beyond recognition as a human being. Numbers of the sufferers were thus rescued before the details ordered by Gen. Granger arrived; after which each vied with the other who should brave the dangers of the devouring element.

THE DEAD.

We saw the bodies of MR. McMAHON, who was in charge of the carpenter work, of CAPT. FOORD, acting quartermaster, and the purser of the steamboat LAURA – which vessel was lying on the marine ways opposite the city – who was killed while sitting at his desk, by either a piece of one of the numerous shells, which filled the air in that neighborhood, or by a fragment of brick. Mr. McMahon was on one of the steamers near the Planter’s Press, on duty when killed. A sailor was killed by the explosion of a shell while working on the engine of one of the fire companies.

A number of the bodies received are so burned and mutilated that recognition is impossible. Some of them are so blackened that it was with difficulty their friends and relatives could identify them, even when not disfigured by mutilation.

The shrieks of the poor wives, daughters, and mothers, as a body would be borne out of the ruins, were heart-rending – each expecting to find some loved one’s mangled and blackened corpse. Several fainted, and were borne away on the stout arms of the tender-hearted soldiers present.

It is estimated that the number killed will fully reach three hundred. When it is taken into consideration that nearly all the workshops, foundries, cotton presses, etc., which covered the vast area destroyed were employing quite a number of men, and from whom so far no accounts have been received, it will be seen that our estimate of two hundred will be below the proper figure.

A grey-haired, venerable lady was weeping, broken-hearted, over what she supposed to be the remains of her boy, having, as she thought, recognized him by a ring on one of the fingers of his hand, when her son, powder-burnt and blackened, walked up to her and raised her up, saying, “Mother, I’m not hurt!” The reaction was too great, and she swooned away. What was joy to her may bring sadness to some other loving heart.

The bell on the guard-house tower rang out an alarm of fire as soon as the deafening roast of the explosion had subsided a little, and the different engines were taken promptly near the scene of the conflagration, but after getting within two or three blocks of the Planter’ Press, the firemen heard a rumor of their being fifteen tons more of powder that would explode as soon as the fire reached it, and they flattered, and finally turned back, but on being assured by the mayor that such was not the case, and that the only danger to be apprehended was from the occasional bursting of a shell as the fire spread, they at once took up their positions and did good work toward extinguishing the flames.

General Granger and Colonel Shipley made their way in the remains of the building which had stood near the remains of a building which had stood near the magazine, and found three horses, alive and kicking, and without a single scratch. How they could have escaped being crushed by the walls and being completely buried, is a mystery. The General and Colonel Shipley brought the animals out and away from danger.

No estimate can yet be formed of the amount of damage done the city in a pecuniary point or view. We have heard it variously estimated at from five to ten millions of dollars. That it is about five and even not much under ten millions seems the general opinion. Eight squares of large and costly buildings were completely demolished – scarcely one brick left upon another – besides the immense damage done outside of this named space, which places this estimate, seemingly, low enough.

The windows of the custom house on the north and east fronts were completely demolished – not a whole pane remaining. With the exception of some portions of the plastering on the inside of the building being thrown, this was all the damage sustained by this building.

The proprietors estimate the damage to the Battle House at from then to fifteen thousand dollars, confined principally to breaking of all the sash in the windows on the north side fronting St. Francis street, falling of ceiling in a few of the rooms, wrenching off of doors, and other slight damages.

Some smashed windows and a portion of the cornice on the north side of the theatre broken off was the only damage done to the theatre.

The News office shared the fate of all the buildings on Royal street, from Conti to the Mobile and Ohio Railroad depot, in having windows knocked out, glass strewn in small particles over the floors, partitions thrown down, etc. This reporter was thrown from his chair, half way across the room, and never ceased rolling until he reached the street, by way of a long flight of stairs.

The building was make a complete wreck inside, by the entrance of a piece of iron, weighing about sixty pounds, through the roof. It fell among the material of the office, smashing things generally. All that prevented it from going through the floor of the second story was striking a cabinet of cases, which was too thick for its penetrative powers. This building stands about one thousand yards from the warehouse where the powder was stored.

The buildings on Royal street did not suffer as much as those on Commerce, Water and Front, but the number of doors and windows crushed in exceeds belief. In some instance where doors were fastened unusually strong, the whole frames were driven from their openings, or doors burst from their hinges.

On Water street the loss of property is immense. Below St. Michael street doors and windows suffered most, but above there walls were tumbled about as though built of paper. A continued wreck meets the eye looking up this street, growing more confused and losing semblance of buildings entirely as the vision nears the square nearest where stood the magazine.

The warehouses and cotton sheds which lined the upper portions of Commerce street are now but a mass of ruins. Buildings on the corners seem to suffer most, some of them being razed to within a few feet of the ground.

The various offices and commission houses on Front street sustained comparatively little damage on their river faces. Doors and windows were all smashed and broken in, but beyond this the injury done them was slight.

Mayor Slough estimates the amount of cotton destroyed at from 8,000 to 10,000 bales, 200 of which belonged to himself and 100 to Mr. Scheible. Nearly all of the cotton destroyed belonged to private citizens, and was stored in lots of from five to 500 bales. The destruction of this cotton will bring pecuniary trouble to a great many persons, as it was their only resource, with no insurance to cover it. The names of the partied losing it will be given as soon as ascertained. Some government cotton was also burned.

The steamer Col. Cowles, Captain Tucker, was lying opposite Planter’s Press, and was almost torn to pieces by the shock, and soon after took fire and was completely consumed. The mate tried to move her before she took fire, but failed. Captain Tucker was badly injured, and two negroes – a cabin boy and firemen – missing, supposed to be lost.

The Kate Dale was entirely destroyed. Only two of the crew were found missing. Officers all safe.

A schooner loaded for New York, having some passengers on board, among them a gentleman named Baker, formerly connected with this office, was destroyed. No word has been received as to the fate of the passengers and crew.

Among the wounded are the following: Michael Sefton, C, 46th Iowa; Ben Hauker, E, 52d Indiana; W. L. Hall, K, 7th Illinois; Jacob Gorett, R, 29th do [ditto - K, 7th Illinois]; J. M. Thorp, F, 29th Illinois; Nathan Reynolds, A, 23d Michigan; H. Isham, A, 23d Missouri; C. B. Morgan, B, 33d Illinois; J. J. Tiddan, D, 93d Indiana; Henry Doser, G, 29th Wisconsin Infantry; Corporal J. W. Lynch, A, 23d Wisconsin; Private S. D. Rogers, D, 20th Iowa Infantry; Privates Philander Grisas, battery C, 3d Illinois; Gabriel Keimeche, A, 23d Wisconsin; Privates August Hurley, A, 23d Wisconsin; C. Williams, a, 23d Wisconsin; Alex. Heacock, d, 24th Indiana; W. Balshka, A, 19th Winconsin; Geo. Abbott, A, Missouris light artillery; Daniel C. Heely, B, 29th Illinois; Henry S. Bacon, James A. Wells, John Casebeer, 1, 23d Wisconsin; Benjamin Brewer, Co. C, 69th Indiana; Hosea H. Young, Co. G, 37th Illinois; Joseph Chapman, Co. H, 29th Wisconsin; Corporals Wm. J. Wilson, Co. C, 29th Illinois; Edmund Blunt, Co. F, 29th Illinois.

Among the wounded men of the Quartermaster’s department are Joseph McQueen, Lawrence county, Ind.; W. F. Van Wry, Indiana.

We made our last visit to the ruins at 2 o’clock this morning. The engines were at work extinguishing the smouldering [sic] flames – the ambulance corps having completed their labors at about 1 o’clock. A few dead bodies were laid out on the adjacent wharves. The scene was sombre [sic] – the desolation around complete.

Janesville Weekly Gazette, Janesville WI 8 Jun 1865