The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1818-04-01
By ADaii.


gentleman in Philadelphia. dated March I9.
fhl. day has been passed IN more unus.
siness expect thaO any other that ever was
experienced by the Inhabitants. About 9
o'clock "A. Nj. we were alarmed by three dis
tncI shocks, in quick succession, which We
discovered 10 proceed ftom the direction Of
Mr. Dupon,'s, and q, the same time could be
seen hom our town vast cloud OF smoke.
About IS minutes, a tremendous explosion
took place, which shook US so much, that
some panes of glass were broken in this
town; this latter explosion proceeded from
the principal magazine, supposed 10 contain
at that time, from the most correct informa.
iion we can obtain, about forty thousand
weight Of powder. Vincent has just return
ed from there, and really, he gives the most
horrid description OF II that can be lmag-
ined--.the msngled bodies OF perhaps 90 per-
sons, (the correct number not 20, asccr,ained,
but supposed TO be OF present, 81 men mis-
sing) strcwed in small pieces over all the
pa d /; here hand, there head, here body
without arms or legs From the above,
which write 10 great haste, you may form
ssme idea OF The horrid figures that meet the
eye, oD entering the yard None OF Mf. Da-
ponI's family we're killed some OF them
were slightly hurt by the glass breaking and
the severity OF the shock, among whom IS
Ms. Dupont, but not materially. Mr.. Du-
pom y house is much injured, all Tho windows,
arc out, both sash and glass.
March 81.
DUPONT'S POWDER WORKS.
Que of tho most melancholy and disastrous
events winch has fallen 10 our lot TO record, 10
the tate explosion Of the Powder Manufacture
and Mag azine of he Messrs. Dupont near
Wilmington, (DeD which took place about
O'Clock on Thu Sdsy morning last. he foi.
lowing are all the particulars we have been
sblc 30 gather : we have gathered them from
sources which we believe entitled TO credit.
The workmcn had just turned the watcr
ON The machinery, ond passed to the door oil
tho grinding house, when an explosion took
place, wbich blew TWO OF the men distance
of about Two hundred yards without their
aust aiming any other injury than some bruises
occesioned by the fall. One OF these men
was literally blown out of his slippers, and
the slippers were afterwards found in the
place where the man had been standing.
Our readers will bear in mind that the
grinding, the granulating aod dsying houses,
and the magazine, all franc buildings, were
respectively distan, from each other nearly
600 ysd Al the point OF time when the
gtiad,6g house exploded, there wasa Wagon
and Ave horses waiting 1t the magazine 10 re.
.-;----s i--A az pashai. The expioalon blew
thr wagouc somo ya,ds-~be INSTANTLY
recovered his fesi, cut the horses clear, jun
ped on ono Of them, and whipped than AS Vi
oiently as he could TO as great distance as
possible. The Wagon was blown in. small
pieces the tire, which was new and an inc h
and a half thick, was so shattered that no one
~ IL rn,,lh ka aiv rnr lnpn
One of the horses was killed by stone the
other four and the waggonet wore unhurt.--
The fist explosion caused such an ala,m in
Wilmington, that tho mass OF the population
rusned out Of their houses, and pressed over
the bridge at tho south end Of The borough
into the marsh. The damage sustained 10
that borough - Hot so great as was apprcben.
ded The fire from the g'inding house was
soon comm municated 10 the other buildings,
and three explosions, the distance between
the first and las, about 20 min0tes, terminst-
Cd This shocking caiam,ty.
Marshall Grouchy, M'Dupon', and snoth-
er gentleman, gathered close oond large
tree, the heavy branches OF which preserv.
cd the m from the many pieces Of timbers
and fragments Of rock which fell round them
The windows, h,ors, and roof OF MIR. Du-
Madame Badcrman. was sitting, in chair
when the floor on which 1t rested, and that
above it, we're blown up, the chair was blown
TO atoms--fortunatcly Mad. Bade' man vas
very little hurt.
Ia the Magazine II 10 said there was $4,000
VT. Of gunpewder this toge'het with the
suphet, salt-petre, building, &c. has caused
loss of property to the enterprizIng and in.
teliigent owners OF more than so 900 dollars.
The field neaI the house Of M Dupont was
nearly covered with stones. One very laFgc
stone passed through the trunk OF large
chesnut tree in The twiokl,ug of an eye.
Many trees were torn up by tho roots, many
were prostra,ed, and all thcit limbs torn off
All The buildings IN the Vicinity were moe
or less injured
!, was mos, affecting and heart.reDding, to
see the b!ackencd and msglsd corpses OF the.
dead and dying. Twen,y-six persons were
found dead, and others are yet missing.
Hero was a wtc,cbcd uDother dis,ractcdIy Cor.
ry,ug aud draeing her orphan children, while,