The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-30
The POWDER EXPLOSION TRAvENswoop.
appearance OF the Place Yesterday.
CORONER's INVESTIGATION.
Awful Condition Of the Remains Of
the Dead.
THRILLING INCIDENTs,
&C., &C., 80.

Our citiseas startled yesterday the announce.
ent Of the fearful catastrophe At Lower Ravens wood
Long Island which has sent many beings sud
denly eternity Ne dsspatshs rspor srs to the
pot ysstSrdsy to take full account OF this heart rena
Ing disAstsr.
The place OF the ex o,oinn presented soksning and
rsvolting appearance The lot on which the powder
sstt s:ood covered with spots blood whore the
manged xsnains o. The unfotunates had been thrown
BY the sxsndous force of the explosion. Standing in
= main Rad between two lots, DO h OF which were
covered With people did not kuov which way
to turn To f1d ,be ruined factory. Speaking to
, hystanssr, Scan you inform whore the
powder MIN atcodf we ssid. q Thu he engendsred fac
tory stood enere" he answered pointing to heap of
1tones sw yards dis ant "Look around and see what
1t has dorssee the brains spatterel this ercsn
We locked here informant pointed, and there
enough, upon . vhitewashei beard fence quantity
Of human brains smearnR of two three feet
damstev. 1t narrowing sight. That matter which
buta fsw hours befors filed with thought and warm
With HIS Blood lay cold upon that and scat
tered upon tho srount. Turning from this, walked
10 whore the factory Stood This in ap open lot
about ono hnndred feet squsre, surrounded by white
board snca and covered with large blocks Of stone
taken from . quarry the lot Tho factory w.s
q sert Of wooden shanty, standing foundation
Of stoass loosely thrown together, In size about
twenty by twenty i've feet. Nothing OF II remained
except ths stores The whole building shiversd
ppEntesa scattered In al directions, AZ shower Of
chips had fallen upon the place Here aud there
hp0ts Of blood and brAips where the nsngsd limbs aud
bodies Of fs dead had fallen. Some id fallen upon
ground, xns had been driven against tho rocks, and
others fen upon the stones which Lar In the lot Pieces
Of eothip9 ay here and hers but yesterday AL the
mains a dead had been picked up Those upon the
spot stats thAt after the expoGon bowels hung dang
nng iron limbs Of trees, and heads from
bodss asd thrown TO the distance Of nearly hundred
yards. Il MAS truly sorry sight
The fhstnry was owl cd BY Erasmus French, Esq who
sstabshs It about four years ago, since which time
has bssn h constant operation NssMs. Hitchcock Co.,
firm IN this city, said to DO his principal purchas
srs Js the third explosion which has bsallen the
Ing basss here hs had been engaged in the line
IN coassssut, whore two EXPLOSIONS occurred DO
In 10 ssrious injury. The nsg .zipe Is small stoss
housA Within few feet Of the factory, in which
stossA Isxs ausbt,y Of powder THAI did rot igpite
he hstsxy was for the maputaeturs Of Asrsden'
ratsut cartridges, srd not for the uanufacturs o
powder Itself, - many supposed Powder was In
ported H. large qusnes from the city, and placed In
ths msgagans daily brought into the factory Ia
auantitaas nscssry for in filing the cartridges This
amounted about ave kegs per day Tho fridge ID
va sue Eat o. side which 10 In srtsd into end
II small pastsboard oy hinder, this cyh adsr being ned
Win psvdsr and covered 1t the other end with leather
vsd vns for nnipg these that The powder used.
Thsrs vsss working the shop At the time Of the expo
sca twenty psrpous Be ascertsinsd Those
vho axe hnown 10 b dead are the following