TWO MILLION DOLLARS DAMAGE TO ELEVATORS IN EXPLOSION ON SAT.

Burst of flame shot into sky 600 feet-Steel barge “Quebec” wrecked by falling debris

OFFICE BUILDING SMASHED BY GIRDER

Quarter million bushels grain in elevator-Grain trade to coast paralyzed-Two years to rebuild elevator-Explosion of dust

DISASTER 9 AUGUST 1919

[People’s Press, 12 August 1919]

              A loss approximating two million dollars is estimated as a result of the disastrous explosion which last Saturday afternoon at 1.15 demolished the Canadian Government elevator at Port Colborne. The elevator has a capacity of two and a half million bushels and is one of the largest in America. It will take two years to rebuild the elevator and in the meantime the shipping of grain in Canada will be paralyzed for the season, so far as water transportation is concerned. Practically all of the grain coming from the Canadian Northwest has been brought to Port Colborne in large vessels which unloaded there, the government elevator re-shipping it to Montreal and foreign ports. At the present time a million bushels of grain is in harbor at Port Colborne waiting to be unloaded, most of it having come down the lake after the occurrence of the accident. The Westmount, carrying 450,000 bushels of wheat arrived at the port Saturday night and a number of vessels with wheat from Chicago have also arrived. Two vessels, the Windsor and the Arabian and half a dozen barges were waiting their turn to load at the elevator when the explosion took place.

The Quebec Wrecked

             When the tons of concrete and steel from the demolished elevator fell upon the Quebec, a large steel barge which was loading, it almost completely destroyed the vessel. The decks were stove in and the greatest loss of life occurred on the boat where a number of men were engaged in loading. The Quebec was soon towed across the slip and the bodies were removed from it. Captain LaTour escaped, as did also his wife and family of small children who were making the trip with him. The captain sustained, however, a broken nose and other slight  injuries.

             The weight of concrete on the boat and the injuries she received from the fallen debris soon caused her to spring a leak and as she was about to sink in the slip a tug towed  her out to deep water to go down. Considerable grain had been stowed in her holds.

A Terrific Explosion

             The explosion that caused the damage was simply terrific. The writer was standing in front of the three burned stores which had been wiped out the night before, when the roar of the explosion was heard. Immediately obtaining a car, a dash was made for the elevator. A shot of flame burst above the ruined building to the height of 500 or 600 feet, which was almost immediately smothered in a dense cloud of heavy black smoke which continued to pour out for some minutes. Meanwhile an apparently continuous series of explosions could be heard, and mingled with this was the crash of rending steel and heavier noises of falling concrete. It was like a bad thunder bolt, which after the first roar continues to rumble for some moments. While still several hundreds of yards from the elevator, charred grain began falling from the air where it had been blown by the force of the explosion and carried towards the centre of the town by the wind.

Elevator Wrecked

             The elevator is an entire wreck although the outer walls which are solidly built of heavy concrete are still standing with the exception of the upper portions. Eyewitnesses of the explosion state that the entire roof was blown almost in a solid mass fifty to one hundred feet into the air before it fell apart and crashed down through the interior of the immense structure, carrying all of the machinery and inner works to the ground with it. The upper portions of the walls were blown out, and large chunks of concrete are to be found many yards from the building where they fell. The elevator was valued roughly at one million dollars and will have to be rebuilt entirely.

Office Destroyed

             A big steel girder from the elevator was blown by the force of the explosion fully one hundred feet. It fell partly upon the roof of  the office building which is separated from the main building, and completely demolished it. The roof fell in upon the inside and debris crashed through the ground floor and practically filled the basement under the building. By a peculiar trick of fate, however, the safe and filing cabinets were left intact, although concrete and twisted steel are piled high all around them. All of the windows in the Maple Leaf Mill across the slip facing the elevator were broken by the concussion, as were all the windows in the vicinity.

Grain Destroyed

             A quarter of a million bushels of grain were in the elevator at the time, and it is not known if any of it can be salvaged. As practically all of the grain from the head of the lakes was stored for er-shipment in this elevator the accident means paralysis of grain shipments to the seaboard. Most of the grain was handled by the Montreal Transportation Company to whom the steel barge Quebec, which was destroyed, belonged.

Caused by Dust Explosion

             The cause of the tremendous disaster is said to have been the explosion of dust which had accumulated on the girders, floors and other portions of the interior of the building. This grain dust when mixed with certain proportions of air and exposed to a spark of intense heat explodes violently and according to the United States Department of Agriculture, the destruction of four of the largest grain and cereal plants in the States which occurred between March 1916 and October 1917 were caused in this manner. Twenty four lives and a monetary loss of $6,000,000 were incurred.

Destruction Unimaginable

             “I was just stepping off my verandah to return to the office when the explosion occurred,” said General Manager Fawcett. “First there was a warning roar and then a fearful crash. I did not suppose for a minute it was the elevator, but thought it was the Maple Leaf mill which adjoins the elevator. I never thought such vast destruction possible. The loss of many our best men is a terrible thing and then again there is the great setback to the grain trade at this most vital time. We were just getting ready for big business from now on till navigation closes, and the result of this cannot be estimated. Ninety per cent of the grain shipped to Montreal went through this elevator.”

Rescuers Took Chances

             The debris had not stopped falling and the dust was still obscuring the building when the rescuers went into the ruins in an endeavor to locate the stricken men. Chas. Aston and Wm. Cook, spouters, were quickly discovered but died later of their injuries. For several hours loose debris continued to fall imperilling the lives of the rescuers who continued however to search for the missing men.