The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-09-14
POWDER MILL BLOWN UP IN Il
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO. ,17f
From the Xenia Torch. Light.

., 1 UhEENE COUN IYy yOHlSI m1Il|
3 From the Xenia Torch Light
: POWDER MILL BLOWN UP.-About o o.
I clock, on Monday morning last, the KerneIl
J, ing and Glazing Mill ofthe Messrs. Austin
on the Little Miami, six miles above Xenia
, blew up with tremendous report, complete.
ly destroying the building and the create
part of the machinery and instantly killed /
J young man--James Kirkpatrick---who was
in The building at the time. ....,'
!, AT the time ofthe accident, there was from
1000 10 1900 lbs ofpowder in the mill---alJ
OF which was, of course, consumed. How
it became ignited is a mystery which will
probably never be solved. The machinery
was, and had been standing from Saturday
! evening previous, and no fire of course was
, permitted about the establishment, Two Of
thee minutes before The explosion, Mr.
Geoge Linkhart had taken load of powder
from the Mill TO the Dry-House, and had left
| young Kirkpatrick, unemployed, in the mill
Had the accident occurred three minutes la
ter, Mr.. l.. and two other men employed
about the mill would, in all probability, have
returned 10, and been blown up, with it,
Their absence was most fortunate and tim ely.
AT the time of the accident, we were on
horseback within some 400 yards of the
scene of disaster. AT the moment, we had
e.r eyes turned in the direction of the mill,
which ws.s hid from sight by strip of woods,
and were reflectting upon the chances of an
accident of the sort. Sudden as lightning, a
bright blaze sprang up amo2g the trees, ac-
companied by three cracks, each following
the other so quickly as 10 render the differ
ence between them hardly peiceptiblc. The
report Of the explosion was SO loud as 10
completely stun us for the moment; and the
concussion of the air SO great, as to sagger
the horse upon which we were riding, and
10 render him for the moment entirely un.
manageable, the falling fragments from the
building adding 10 his, as we'll rs 10 our own
alarm.
Within five minutes OF the accident, we
were at the scene of disaster, and spectacle
presented was truly surprising. The build
ing was razed 10 its very foundation stones,
and the strong tmbers of the frame torn
apart, twisted and broken as though they
had been but broom straws, and scattered in
every direction. The heavy cog-whecls of
the mill had been blown into the river TO
distance of some fifty or sixty yards, and even
the large water-wheel, outside the building,
had been started from its place. The heavy
sills were piled up on each side Of where the
building had stood, and the solid earth be-
meath torn loose The depth of several feet.
The shingles, &C., of the building were
broken into very small fragments, and cover
ed the earth and filled the tops Of the trees
about the place Of the accident. Tie be dy of
young Kirkpatrick was found in the race some
two hundred feet from The building, the skull
completely crushed, the neck broken, and
very much mangled and disfgured otherwise,
but still none Of the parts discovered His
death must have been instantaneous. He
was one Of a large family who live IN the vi
cinity, some of whom were engaged in other
buildings of the mandatory at the time
He was about II years of age. His sudden
and horrible death should admonish us all of
the uncertainty Of human lfe.y5
The precau,ion of The Messrs Austin, in
having the different departments of their man
ufactory separated from each other and so
far removed as, in the event Of accident to
one the others should remain uninjured, has
in this instance saved them from loss
which, had their establishment been all un-
der one roof, would have been complete and
most disastrous. As it is, their loss will not
exceed, perhaps, l200-and we are assured
that they will be under full headway again in
The course offour or five weeks Meantime,
we are requested to slate-and we hope
hose ofouf brethren who may notice the
accident will note the fact--that they have al
'arge quantity of po,rder now on hand and
hat no interruption ofsupplies need be appre-
lended by their regular customers. The Aus
ins are enterprising and energetic men, and
he public may rest assured that no unneces-
'ary delay will occur in consequence of this
accident 10 their Miami Mills, Their pow
Ter has already obtained an extensive repu-
alton in the western country, and we make
10 doubt it will continue TO maintain it.. Ia
SINGULAR DEvELopRMENTs-A writer in
Cist's Advertiser, in giving sketches of the