Dynamite

Amid the barren, mud-colored hills surrounding Chile's Chuquicamata, stood last week a knot of enthusiastic newshawks. They had stopped off on their way home from a Pan-American Press Conference at Valparaiso for a gigantic entertainment specially staged for them by the world's largest copper mines. They were to see one of the world's largest explosions, the firing of 3,000,000 Ib. of dynamite.

In the mine's open terrace workings, from which ore is grabbed by twelve mechanical shovels, the dynamite had been laid. All was nearing readiness for the festive blowoff and the newshawks, standing at a safe distance, plugged their ears, braced themselves for the shock. At that moment an electric engine rolled up drawing two cars of black powder. Five workmen and a foreman started unloading it.

In some unexplained manner the black powder exploded, prematurely set off the dynamite charge.

Up from earth's bowels were vomited 100,000 tons of ore. Miners' huts for miles around shuddered in convulsion.

Twisted into shapeless scrap were the engine, cars, shovels. Boulders flew like buckshot with here and there a human leg or arm, some landing as much as a mile distant. When the storm had passed 55 lay dead, 201 injured. Stricken with horror, the newshawks rushed from their vantage point to become stretcher-bearers and ambulance drivers. Hundreds of weeping women surged to the mine's terraces, searched hysterically among mountains of debris for husbands and sweethearts. To begin an immediate in vestigation, the Governor of Antofagasta Province hurried to the scene, declared:

"This is the most serious accident of its kind in Chile's history."

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