Sibley Quarry explosion
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On January 30, 1900, the Sibley Quarry just north of Trenton, Michigan was the site of an accidental explosion of over Template:Cvt pounds of dynamite. While the explosion was felt over Template:Cvt away, only one worker was killed, and no other serious injuries were reported.[1][2]
Explosives
The explosives that detonated in the explosion were stored in a shanty at the quarry. Due to a delivery the previous day, there were approximately Template:Cvt of dynamite in the shanty at the time of the explosion. The foreman at the quarry, Thomas Fitzpatrick, reported a small explosion, similar to a normal quarry blast, immediately before the large one. He suggested that a single stick of dynamite may have been accidentally dropped. The resulting small explosion could have set off the entire shanty. The true cause of the explosion was never determined.[1]
Victims
The only worker killed in the explosion was Nelson Burbo.[2] He was reported as being 48[2] or 60[1] years old. Burbo was survived by his wife and ten children.[2] He had over 35 years experience at the quarry, 10 to 15 of it as a dynamiter.[2] The only remains that were found were a couple of bone fragments, some scraps of his clothing, and a portion of his watch.[2]
The only reported injury was to Thomas Fitzpatrick's wife who was superficially cut by broken window glass.[1]
Charles Freedon was crippled in this explosion according to newspaper articles written at the time of his death.
Damage
The magazine shanty was totally destroyed, leaving a crater Template:Cvt across and 10 feet (3 m) deep. Thomas Fitzpatrick's house was about Template:Cvt away from the site of the blast and was heavily damaged.[1]
Windows were broken through the towns of Trenton and Wyandotte, and the explosion was heard and felt throughout the city of Detroit and even as far away as Grosse Pointe.[2]
One notable bit of damage is a clock owned by John Turski was knocked off his mantle and stopped at 10:33, marking the time of the explosion.[2]
References
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Record Commercial 1913
External links
- The Daily Northwestern, January 30, 1900 Subscription required
- The Atlanta Constitution, January 31, 1900 Subscription required
- The Washington Post, January 31, 1900 Subscription required
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