BUTTE'S FATAL EXPLOSION
Words, Miss E. T. Henneberry; Music Miss M. M. Henneberry
To the Memory of the Lost

1
'Twas fifty minutes past nine in the evening,
On the fifteenth of January ninety five,
That the firemen of Butte in Montana, State
Were call'd to extinguish a fire;
And the great and gallant firemen,
Like heroes true and brave,
Made ev'ry effort that they could all property to save.
What means this large gath'ring of people?
But Hark ! What deaf'ning sound is that which fills the air?
'Tis an explosion caused by powder,
Between South Butte and Butte City proper,
Fiercer still the fatal blast throws out its heated breath,
And holds many of Butte's citizens
Within the arms of death.

Chorus.
Honor the names of the firemen brave,
Who lost their lives, the city to save,
The husband and the fa; ther; the brother and the son,
Have left behind a record of duty nobly done,
The names of the lost heroes; will live in our hearts with pride,
And we shall ne'er forget Butte's firemen, who for duty bravely died.

2
The people rushed from their homes in wonder,
To a scene they can never, never forget,
And they witnessed the explosion of powder,
Which to them will be a life long regret;
That night 'mid black'ning ruins,
Oh! God, what a sight to be seen,
The dead all unshapely were lying where once joy hath reigned supreme.
Loud are the lamentations heard throughout the land,
For the widow's and the orphans,
Of that true and loyal band,
Of that true and loyal band,
May God in this hour of sorrow come to the widow's aid,
Caring to for the orphans*
Which this fatal explosion hath made.

Chorus.

Punctuation of sheet music as shown. *sic

C. 1895. No publisher given.

Many thanks to Lee Whitney, Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives, 17 West Quartz, Butte, Montana 59701, for the scan of the sheet music.