On July 19 a fuse factory in this city was blown up by a Chinese murderer who had taken refuge in the powder magazine, declaring that he would explode the whole supply of 2,000 pounds of powder if the sheriff undertook to arrest him. After being kept in the magazine all night by a guard of several officers, he exploded this great mass of powder, and the pictures on this page show some of the results.
One of the buildings shown herewith stood 100 feet and the other 200 feet from the exploded magazine. The terrible ruin wrought by the mere shock of this explosion is very impressive. If the officers had not taken the precaution to have the people near the factory leave their homes, but very few if any of them could have escaped.
The people living near the scene of this great disaster had come and gone day after day, giving no thought to the danger they were in. It is well for every one to give careful heed to their surroundings. There may not be a powder magazine right by you, but evils just as full of danger to your moral and physical natures may be lurking about, ready to accomplish your ruin. The work may not be so sudden as with the powder magazine. But the effect in the end may be even more disastrously destructive.
The spot where we live in either village, town, or city, should be chosen with reference to the health and safety of our families from both the spiritual and physical standpoint. Then from this haven of rest and strength which we designate by that dear word “home,” we may in the name of the Master invade the strongholds of sin and misery and do valiant service for the cause of God. T.
