1865 — May 25, Mobile Magazine (Ordnance Depot) Explosion, Mobile, AL — 300
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-12-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
— ~300 Alabama Department. of Archives & History. This Week in Alabama History
— 300 Berney. Hand-Book of Alabama (2nd Revised Edition). 1892, p. 84.
— 300 Du Bose, Joel Campbell. Alabama History. 1915,
— 300 Janesville Gazette. “The Explosion at Mobile.” June 8, 1865.
— 300 Wikipedia. “Mobile Magazine Explosion.”
Narrative Information
Berney: “1865 – May 25. Disastrous powder explosion at Mobile.” {Berney footnote}: “About 2:15 p. m. on this date, the Federal magazine, located at the corner of Lipscomb and Commerce streets, in Mobile, and containing about two hundred tons of assorted ammunition, included in which were about thirty tons of gun-powder exploded, dealing death and destruction on all sides. The report of the explosion was heard for forty miles. Every house in the city felt the force of the shock, and it is estimated that the dead numbered three hundred, the wounded to two hundred more, and that the property loss was $730,000. The cause of the explosion has never been ascertained, but it is supposed to bare been from the accidental dropping of a loaded shell. Mobile, at that time, was in the possession of the Federal troops, under General Granger.” (Berney 1892, 84)
Du Bose and Campbell: “Early in the afternoon of May 25, 1865, the whole city was jarred as if by an earthquake. The accidental fall of a loaded shell, or some other carelessness on the part of the Federals, produced a terrific magazine explosion. Thirty tons of gunpowder and a large amount of assorted ammunition were stored in the magazine. Three hundred lives and nearly a million dollar’s worth of property were destroyed.” (Du Bose, Joel Campbell. Alabama History. 1915)
Newspapers
June 11: “Cairo, June 11….New Orleans advices on the 6th state that an important clue to the cause of the late disastrous explosion at Mobile is thought to have been obtained. A man named Wall has been arrested at Mobile, charged with being implicated. He states that he and two other men on the night previous to the explosion placed torpedoes between the buildings containing powder; that the work was performed under the direction of a rebel Major, who threatened them with instant death if they disobeyed or offered to resist, and that the Major afterwards lighted the fuse of the shell….” (Burlington Weekly Hawk Eye (IA). “From Cairo. Terrible Explosion” June 17, 1865, p. 4.)
June 8: “….It is estimated that the number killed will reach fully 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….
“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 instances where doors were fastened unusually strong, the whole frames were driven from their opening, 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 the 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 steamer Col. Cowles, Captain Tucker, was lying opposite Planter’s Press, and was torn almost to pieces by the shock, and soon after took fire and was completely consumed…. 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…was destroyed. No word has been received as to the fate of the passengers and crew.” (Janesville Gazette. “The Explosion at Mobile.” June 8, 1865.)
May 30: “CHICAGO, May 29, —The Tribune of this city as a special from New Orleans…which says the ordnance magazine at Mobile exploded at two o’clock yesterday. The city was shaken to its very foundation. Eight squares of buildings were destroyed, and five hundred persons were buried in the ruins.” (Syracuse Daily Courier and Union (NY), May 30, 1865)
June 7: “Mobile, May 26, 1865. Editors State Journal. Yesterday, about 3 o’clock p.m., occurred in this city one of the most terrible explosions on record. Not less than one hundred lives were lost. The number may reach a much higher figure. The magazine of rebel ammunition, located near the river, in the north part of the city, was being replenished by the ammunition surrendered by Kirby Smith, which was being hauled from the boat to the magazine. The explosion was caused by careless handling of shells. The whole north part of the city is in ruins, and twenty thousand bales of cotton burned. The principal cotton presses were near the magazine building and are completely demolished. There is not a house in the city as far as I have seen which is not injured in some manner, principally by the breaking of windows and doors.
“The number of soldiers killed cannot as yet be fully ascertained, as it is not yet safe to go near the burning ruins, as shells are yet occasionally bursting. The engines could only confine the fire to the limits of the buildings blown up and those within reach of the bursting shells. Quite a large number are wounded.” (Wisconsin State Journal. “The Mobile Disaster – Letter from State Agent George C. Smith,” June 7, 1865.)
Sources
Alabama Department of Archives & History. This Week in Alabama History. Accessed 4/6/2009 at: http://archives.state.al.us/thisweek/index.html#May
Berney, Saffold. Hand-Book of Alabama (2nd Revised Edition). Birmingham, AL: Roberts & Sons Printers, 1892. Digitized by Google at: http://books.google.com/books?id=WDV_rsw3i2YC&source=gbs_navlinks_s
Burlington Weekly Hawk Eye, IA. “Terrible Explosion,” 6-17-1865, p. 4. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=781530
Du Bose, Joel Campbell. Alabama History (Revised Edition). Atlanta: B.F. Johnson Publishing Co., 1915. Digitized by Google. Accessed 3-12-2024 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=5GQTAAAAYAAJ
Janesville Gazette, WI. “The Explosion at Mobile.” June 8, 1865. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=53141513&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=1
Syracuse Daily Courier and Union, NY. “Explosion of a Large Magazine.” 5-30-1865. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=2212026&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=1
Wikipedia. “Mobile Magazine Explosion.” 1-24-2009 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_magazine_explosion
Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “The Mobile Disaster–Letter from State Agent George C. Smith,” 6-7-1865. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=53865235&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=2