Washington sentinel., 1854-01-31
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From tha Herald I'D SUNDAY.

1 = + 3 i 4 81
Terrible Explosion at Lower Ravens
wood, Long Island.--About two o'clock yester-
day afternoon, the building occupied factory
for the making of ball cartridges, at Lower Ra-
venswood, Long Island, blew up with an expIo-
sion that shook the houses in the neighborhood
for two miles around, and breaking the windows
OF all those buildings which were within six or
eight hundred feet of the place. The exact num-
Der of lives lost is now not known; for, being the
afternoon OF Saturday, greater or less number
than usual might have been there, according 10
circumstances.
The lowest estimate made by Mr. French, the
proprietor, is twenty -four and the highest, made
by friends Of the deceased is about thirty. One
family, the father ofwhich is Mr.. Rhine, worthy
man, and gardener to gentleman in the place,
lost three girls; and scarcely laborng family re-
sides near the place that is not now wailiRg for
the loss of some member of il.
The site Of the building and the surrounding lots
were covered with the debris Of the building, hu-
man limbs, and fragments of machinery; here a
trunkess head, there an arm, and all round blood
and entras, and shreds OF clothing all blackened
and burnt, SO that ndentifcation is impossible. We
saw man draw from the mass the head of a little
girl, which he knew was that Of his daughter by
Bit Of ribbon fastened To- the hair; but any other
portion Of the body he would never find, or if he
found il he would never be able to say il was the
body of his child. ..s
Most terrible of all il was 10 see women waiiing
on the ground, or cropping among the human frag-
ments for something which they could identify and
mourn over; but lime barrels, filled with dis
gnsting mass OF human remains, black and bloody,
was in most cases all they could indulge their
frantic grief upon. About ten corpses were fitted
together, either wholly or partially, and carried
away on boards, followed by groups Of inconsola-
BILE mourners.
The precise cause Of the explosion one re-
mains to explain.
Within a few feet Of the building is fre-proof
CELL in which is stored large quantities of powder;
and this being within the scope of the smoke and
flames OF the burning ruins, one was willing TO
hazard an approach 10 attempt TO rescue the suf-
ferers from the ruins for some time after the ex-
plosion took place.
Mr. French the proprietor Of the mandatory,
is said to be in the employ of Messrs. Hitchcock
& Co, New York firm, dealing in munitions Of
war. His establishment has long been considered
dangerous to the neighborhood though, Of course,
no such fearful catastrophe as this was ever anti
cipated. We are informed, however, that no less
than three explosions had already taken place, in
one Of which he was personally injured. At the
time Of this disastrous affair he escaped providen
tally having, just before the accident, gone into
his dwelling house, which stands at distance OF
about fffy yards from the manufactory. Il was
also extremely fortunate that the whole compile
ment Of hands were not in the building at the time,
Or The loss Of life would probably have reached a
much higher number.