{"id":3425,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:58:09","latitude":46.007731265604661530232988297939300537109375,"longitude":-112.52864062786102294921875,"title":"Ground Zero","subtitle":"Buildings Leveled, 58 People Killed","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/d53b2bcbac520c8e486af49300784152.jpg","address":"East Aluminum Street","all_locations":[],"zoom":18,"creator":["Lindsay Mulcahy"],"description":"Butte Police Officer James Steinborn was walking his beat shortly before 10 p.m. on January 15, 1895, when he spotted flames coming from the Kenyon-Connell Commercial Company warehouse. He rushed to fire call box 72 on the corner of Utah and Iron Streets and alerted the fire department. <br />\r\n<br />\r\nFifteen firefighters hurried to the warehouse, where a fire was burning in the northwest corner. By the time firefighters arrived a crowd had gathered. There was a shouted warning of explosive powder in the warehouse and surrounding buildings, but the firemen were assured there was none. In fact, tons of dynamite were illegally stored in the warehouse.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nFirefighters went to work putting out the blaze. There was a small explosion inside the building, causing the men to fall back. After deciding all was safe, Chief Angus Cameron ordered the men to resume their positions. Within moments the first major explosion occurred, killing 13 firemen and nearby spectators. Others were knocked to the ground, some losing consciousness. Concerned citizens came to help, not realizing the fire had jumped to the Butte Hardware Company warehouse, which also illegally housed massive amounts of dynamite. Within minutes, the dynamite exploded in the second warehouse.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe explosions threw rabble heads (six-inch long pieces of iron placed around dynamite to prevent it from being ignited by a stray bullet), sawblades, and other shrapnel across the city, with some projectiles striking and killing people blocks away from the site. Fifty-eight people died as a result of the fire and subsequent explosions. <br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe landscape, of course, was forever changed that night. The Kenyon-Connell and Butte Hardware Company warehouses are gone. The space is now vacant or occupied by buildings constructed after the explosion, such as the Great Northern Railway depot and the Christie Transfer and Storage warehouse.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"","lede":"Debris was propelled as far away as Rocker, four miles to the west.","website":"","related_resources":[],"factoids":["Interested in learning more? Visit Butte Historical Memorial's website at <a href=\"http://www.buttehistoricalmemorials.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.buttehistoricalmemorials.org</a>."],"files":{"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/d53b2bcbac520c8e486af49300784152.jpg":{"id":5447,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Aftermath of the Explosion","description":"Group working to clear wreckage and look for survivors in the aftermath of the explosion. | Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives | January 15, 1895 | Hawes of Anaconda","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/d53b2bcbac520c8e486af49300784152.jpg"},"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/01f62f30b21fe688783dd9b9893d86b5.jpg":{"id":5448,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Among the Wreckage","description":"Wreckage, includng the remnants of a nearby train, immediately after the explosion. | Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives. | January 15, 1895 | Hawes of Anaconda","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/01f62f30b21fe688783dd9b9893d86b5.jpg"},"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/36d610b560d905617d154c1e65c00f6e.jpg":{"id":5449,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"St. James Hotel","description":"The explosion blew out windows in buildings throughout the city. The windows of the nearby St. James Hotel were completely destroyed. | Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives | January 15, 1895 | Hawes of Anaconda","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/36d610b560d905617d154c1e65c00f6e.jpg"}}}