The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-02-16
The Late Appalling Calamity at 1avensupod,
Long Island. LTD

The Late Appalling Calamity AZ &avenSWOoa 4
The New York papers arr filed with the 4
details Of the terrible explosion ~ Frenrh's
Ball Cartridge factory AT Lower Ravenswo ID,
Long I.land, Of which weaAaye slrcady pubs
lshcd brief account. The descriptions Of
the ruins after the explosion, are most dis
tressing. The Herald says:
= Our reporter WAS on the spot halt an hour
after il occurred, and Of the sight sach
sickening scene he hopes to be spared again.
The site OF tie building, and the surround
i, . lots were covered with the debris o. the
building, human limbs, and fragments. o..
machinery; here trunkless head, here an
arm. and all round blood and entra'l', ana
sbrcds { clothing, all blsckened and burnt
a. that identification l. impossible, Nesaw
!, man draw from the mass the head 81
little Girl which he knew was that OF hts
daughter by bit OF ribbon fastened TO ile
hair; bot any other portion OF the BODY ne
would never find or II he found u he would
! never he able to say it Was The body "i A's
child The house of Mr. Moses j. white
house, about four hundred feet distant ana
AGAINST the rear Of this human nrns rom
the sho. Idcr down was carried WITH sueh
I ,nree that Il has len its cxact imprint III
/ blood and charcoal on the angle Inc WIN
dows OF his house, those ulso oil the hey.
Mr.. Waite the Episeopalmnlster q Ravens
wood, which is next. and those OF Mr. French
adjoining. have not whole pane oil glass
I LETT in them.
Most terrible OF all it was To see women
waiiine on the ground. Or cropping among
the human fragments for something which
they could identity and mourn over; but the
Inn. barrels. filled with disgusting mass oi
human remains, black and bloody, was IN
mos, eases all they could indulge Their iran
tic grief upon. About ten eorpses were hi
ted together. either wholly or partially, and
carried away on boards followed by groups
oi inconsolahle manrners.
The precise cause OF the explosion no one
remains 10 plain. IL IL known, however.
that the stove used for warming the haldihg
was red ha,. the day being very cold; and
from the highly combustible materials Wh'th
were used in close proximity y TIT may
readily &c accounted for hy snpPeslnE setae
particle isnitrd on the floor, and COMMUNE
ealing with tia articles IN various stages OF
preraration. caused the explosion
There were over 10000 bali cartridges
made up ia the building, besides eonadefa-
Bile quantity ogpowder. The cartridges near-
H. ali exploded, and the balls were all thrown
In every direction; bat proedeutially no per
SOB ou, OF the building was seriously injured.
One of the balls passed through pane 81
plass Into the library room oi Mr. Batiuc a
distance AZ one-eighth d mle, aud shutter
ed the chandalier
trErr, ,f.r3. ahf5,4t tuenfp vi /.
II bav- ard lcmales--jn the building, 81
ed in filing and packing G r,ridges, all .
whom With ofte Or two exceptions We're IN
stantly killed.
Several 81 those touching and interesting
incidents which accompany every great
calamity Of this kind took place. NaaFig
an lie deceased We're Young men or h5fs
md vetne rirls: ard the teory ot the be-
Fr5rsd parent who arrived Oh the spot IA
the melancholy hope OF recovering somt
fragments at least, OF the beloved TORN
Which had been perhaps all II All e them
j. described az something trighttui Here
father sfa-ehed among the mutilatcd
earasls l#sr ht- son; and wept IN agony al
I'll dreadful thought that even The po"i
satisfaction of gazing al the hfcies- hnca-
mcnts 81 his boy was denied him; and there
mother, deliriuu- with grief rafncd shc ~
ers OF tears upon the remains oi q cinia
which only the true maternal heart Wa
able to recognize. An affecting incident
was told lis OF q poor woman, nnt.rc :"
Ireland who had a son III THE establishment
On hearsre Of the catastrophe, thug
old and iutfm she FASTENED wiih i9ttennl
steps 10 the dreadful Scene. Thy tot,
her that her -0n Mas among tbs dea6-
her son to whom She looked f3r support
and affection, aud whom she hsd d1lzed
perhaps as ioutiY as many 81 higher birth
and larger means. The spectators nj
tempted to keep her back, bat her strong
tavt. was not 10 bu thgs overcome. Shc
forced her was uniil she stood a. The taids
of the fearful scene, ard then began her
mourntul search. Finally she esnled /
: hcadlcss trunk, with the yer,ebrae pratra-
e ding from the CORY neck, anl this shr rec
organized as the sole remains of him who
G had been So suddenly cut down In the midst
OF life aud death Blaekencd, disfgurec
mutilotcd, the widowed and bercayed Still
: knew her offspring. Those who witnessed
the scene say that q spectacle more bar
rowing even to the coolest heart was nerc
witnessed,
Mississippi and Missouri Eailroad
: In our notice of this road OH the 3ls' o
January we stated that Mcssrs. Sheffield (
Fnrnam had the contract for building II
| We took our notes IN reference 10 1t at the
2 same time and place that sc did those lo
: the Rock Island railroad, aud heace we go1
: the thing somewhat "mir4a y We shoull
have stated that Mr.. Farnam has the man
ugement Of the road as Chief Engineer
/ aud both he and Mr. Sheffield are directors
. A. fast as any portion Of it II prepared, il is
, let to other parties. NJ. y. +, Carmichael
has the contract To Iown City.
Tie result however, will be the same, n
anything which these gentlemen take hole
offs bound 10 20 aitad = Chicago Press.
WaNuLRIEL ELRn --TAn suhlannI Incl.