The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-11-26
From tie Baltimore Sun.
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION OF POWDER
MILLS AND LOSS OF LIFE

Yesterday morning at about 90 minutes before
III o'clock, sudden heavy report accompanied
with reverberation, was heard in The city and
The concussion OF the air was great that the hou
SEES were slightly and the windows violently sha-
ken. In moment afterwards persons in elevated
situations perceived dense column of smoke in a
direction little west of north from the city. which.
while it lowered high into the air, seemed to rest
upon the earth and move slowly off before the
wind in southeast direction from the pont at
which it appeared, its enormous cap of almost
snowy whiteness. gracefully bending over from the
breeze. Speculation was at work in an instant,
and tor once conjecture struck with remarkable
precision upon the cause and long before any in
formation reached the city, ii was universally adj
mltled to be an explosion at Beatty's powder
mills.
We Immediately started for the scene of de
structi6n, and upon arriving found that the Belona
Powder Works of Mr.. James Beatty, about 6
miles from the city. on The Baltimore and Susuue-
hanna Railroad were completely demolished and
hve OF The workmen instantaneousy killed The
names of the unfortunate men were James Bush
William Braden, Francis Woodruff, Auouste
kenoft, and Nelson Mingo, colured Kenol has
let wife and two children; he was the aiten-
dant at the mill and had but few minutes pre-
vouS to the explosion, gone from the superinien-
dants house 10 the granting MILL James Bush
was young man, and Braden and Woodhurt were
lads. not quite grown.
Mr. Frederick Wright. the superintendent Of
the works, was in his room at the dwelling AZ
The time OF the explosion. and by almost a miracle.
escaped unhurt. a fragment from the mill enter
ed The window of The room. striking the mantle
snort distance from where he was sitting, and al
though the house was nearly one hundred Yards
from the mill, every pane ofglass. the sashes
nearly all The furniture. and Of the pIas,erino
from The walls. were demolished by the force of
the cOncussion
we have not words TO depict the sight that pre-
seh'ed liseIt In the room where the shapeless re.
mains OF the unfortunate victims had been collect.
go. w e saw the brother of James Bush vainIy
endeavoring 10 convince himself Of his brothers.
ldeniItyl among the mass of crushed flesh and
bones. What had been recovered of KenoCt mad.
out an nndIstinguished heap upon the floor The
mead was still missing, and indeed not one Of The
bodies had the foil complement Of members attach
cd 10 H. Varlous portions OF the different bodies
were found at the distance Of one hundred wards
from the site Of the mill, and we even say pieces
OF entrails hanging on the tops Of two trees, fifty
or sixty yards from the spot from whence they
were blown
The powder works consisted Of the grinding
mill, The granting MILL (abOut seventy wards from
The former) and The +" cracker house" in which
the cakes were dried before being crushed and
grained. which was situated abont 25 Yards on the
other side of the first named mill These three
buildings were successfully blown up. the powder
lgnning rom one spo 10 the other, notwilhstand
ing me distance, and producing the three reports
lhai were distinguished by some persons in the
ely Nothing bot peculiar demonstration could
give any idea Of The complete destruction Of The
works Minute fragments were strewn TN the
ground in every direction for more than hundred
yards from the centre ofruin. The stone founda
lion seems TO have been crushed info the arouhd.
not shelving the least traces Of ever having been
regular masonry and appears TO have been coated
with lime, formed by the intense, though mornen
larry, heat 10 which they have been exposed. All
who were in The mill having met with instant
death, the cause Of the explosion must he left ,o
conjecture. Mr. James Good win. one of the work
men engaged in the establishment. stated beE,s
the inquest, which was held upon the boJl,s he
coroner Bowman. Of the city, that he had been in
he lnlll sbout ten minutes before the awful event
and that all appeared to be going on in The usual
manner. Bush was engaged in sweeping. pre-.