The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-30
The POWDER EXPLOSION AT RAveNswooD.
appearance OF the Place Yesterday.
CORONER'S INVESTIGATION.
Awful Condition of the Remains Of
the Dead.
FME EXCITEMENT AMONG THE INHABITANTS.
THRILLING INCIDEN rs,
&C., &C., 80

Our cseas startled yesterday by the announce.
nsnt Of ths fearful catastrophe Lower Ravens wood
Long Island which has sent many human beings sud
denly into sssrnity Ne despatshs reporters the
mot yesterday take full account OF this heart reni
Ing diaxter.
The place Of the 9loion presented sicksning and
sevolting appearance The lot which the powder
stU 6cod was covered with spots OF blood whore the
mangled rsnains o. the uafciuaatss been thrown
BY the szsndous force Of the explosion. Standing In
= main Rad between two lots, DO h Of which were
covered With people, did not krov which way
to turn To ard The ruined factory Speaking to
. bystaESer, "Can you inform us whore the
powder min atoodT 20 ssid " Ths hsn engendsred fac
tory stncd snere, he snswsred pointing to heap of
1tones few yaros ds ant "Look around and see what
1t has dcnssee the brains spatserel as this feror"
We locked ~rhere informant pointed and ,here
enough, upon whitewAshsi beard fence was quantity
Of human brains smearna OF two three feet in
diameter. 1t narrowing sight That matter, which
but fsw hours befors filed with thought warm
With hfs'a lood lay cold upon that and icat
tered upoa the grount Turning from this, walked
10 where the factory stood. This in ap open lot
about one hnndred feet square, surrounded by white
board fnca and covered with large blocks of stone
taken frvA . quarry the lot Tho factory was
o sert oe wooden sbanty, standing foundation
Of stonss' loosely thrown together, In size about
twenty By twenty Ave feet. Nothing OF 1t ramainsd
except ths Gtores The whole building shvsrsd into
splinte1a scattered In oil directions, shower Of
chips hsd fallen upon the plase Here aud there lay
sposs Of blood and brains where the nsnglsd limbs and
bodies Of A dead had fAsn Some nd fallen upon the
ground, sms had been driven against tho rocks and
others fen upon the stones which Lar the lot Pieces
Of elohsx Eay here and shsrs but yesterday all the
mains of e dead had been picked up Those upon the
spot stsss Cast after tho explosion bowels hung dang
ling fsoa limbs Of trees and heads severed from
bodies and thrown the distance Of nearly hundred
yards. Il was truly . sorry sight
The history was OWE cd BY Erasmus French, Esq who
sstabhshs It sbout four years sgo since which time IL
has bssa constant operation Aessrs. Hitchcock Co.,
nrm in this city, said to be his principal purchas
srs ThIs the third explosion which has bsfaen the
peopeistoT bnt not this spot. Prevons to
Ing bunass here, hs he'd hssn engaged in the line
n CoansGesut whore two plceons occurred do
fng 70 ssxsous injury. The mag .ziDs is small stoss
hoseA wishin fsv feet Of the factory In whish
stored hsvs ausss,y Of powder thss did not spits
The fAstsxy was TOR the mApuiaetufs Of Asrsden'
pAteut cartridges, snd not for the manufactDre o
powder isssH, a. many supposed. Powder was i'm.
ported H. large qusntes from tbs city, and placed In
the mssaGsns and daily brought into the factory Ia
auantslss nscssssry for In filing the cartridges This
amounted about nve kegs per day The fridge Il an
~ sue Nat o. side which 10 In, srtsd into end
II small pastsboard oy hinder, this cyh adsr being 6ed
With psvr and covered at the other end with leather
vsd II vns for nnrE thsss that ths powder used.
Thsrs wsrs working In the shop 1t the time Of the sxpo
don twenty psrsops be ascertsnsd Those
-Ana,. hwnwu n be dead are the following -