Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-06-07

IuOuaCA aeStAAAso W tuO 1NAoAuAtys
Our citizens were thrown into terrible com.
motion shortly before ii o'clock this morning,
f(Svedaesdays BY Succession of reports, a. if Sf
thunder accompanied with a sensible jar Of eve
| ry building 10 the Place while the coneusson of
the air caused immense destruction to the glass.
Doors and windows were burst open, as Il shs-
ken by an esrthqnake.f sl1 tFil1 ffiSF
Itwas soon ascertained to have proceeded from
an explosion of powder, at the corner Of -Four.
teenth and Orange streets, and In that Yicinty
the destruction beggars descriptiod. An earth
quake could not have caused greater destruction.
Three large teams, containing $50 bags Of
powder, the whole estimated at five tons, were
on the way from the mills of Dupont a. Co., to
the wharf, for the purpose Of being shipped. In
passing along Fourteenth street, the last Wagon
was opposite Orange street, and Immediately in
front OF Bishop Lees elegant residence, the 9TH
er wagons being in advance, the head one about
sixty feet beyond. 1t is not known which Of the
wagons was first exploded, or how the powder be-
came ignited. Nothing but fragments remain Of
wagons, horses ana Drivers. -. ..-....l. b.. d.
Bishop Lees house was terribly shattered----
The roof was lifted up bodily, and broken into
fragments, the front wall blown out, the foors
broken up, and every window an door torn away.
The beautiful garden, and even the summer
house, well known to every visiter to these charm
ing grounds, were destroyed. re ...sl, q!
The Bishop and his family were fortunately
absent, attending the Convention of the diocese,
in ST. Andrews church, few squares off. A le-
male servant was in the house, with d child
The latter was slightly hurt; the servant il badly
cut, but is not dead, was enormously reported.
Three houses on Orange street., below Four
leenth, were completely destroyed. Of one
frame house, not portion remains standing.
A young Irshman, boarding with John Nc
Lqughlin, was fatally injured and died shortly af-
ter, Mclaughlin was very badly cut, and his
clothes torn off. His wife is very seriously int-
jured, and his child about two years OF age, was
missing, and it was supposed had been killed,
when twas subsequently taken from tho cellar
uninjured. ...ts.
Il The families of VIM. Mccoy md Richard
Reynolds, living in the other houses, are all more
or less injured. The wife of the latter quite se-
riousy. .r.... r.t. a....
The residence of James Candy; corner of Mar
ket and Fourteenth streets, was terribly shatter-
ed and will have to come down. The inmates
were badly cut by the glass and falling plaster
The brick stables and barn, together with tho
carriage house and fine garden, were all destroy
ed.
On the opposite side of the srect, the elegant
residence of james E. Price was So much injured
that it will have to be rebuilt. On the south
side Of Fourteenth street, the barn aud stables
of Joseph Price, John II. Price, and James E.
Price, were all completely destroyed. In tho
latter Robert Henry, colored man was killed
The following were also killed: John Reese,
Thomas Talley and Thomas Hughes, employed
as drivers of the teams .t : aaE ,olt1
The trees along the street, and in the gardens
bordering, were stripped of their leaves, and some
torn up by the roots. Fragments OF the wagons,
horses and drivers, were blown in various direc-
tons. A human arm was found at a distance OF
three hundred feet;son OF the drivers was blown
5 over the trees, and the fragments Of his body
lodged on the shore of the Brandywine, whcm
runs behind Bishop Lees grounds.
All the walls and other objects in the housed
injured by the explosion, were driven towards it,
instead o: from it. The appearance OF the hou-
; ses shows that the great vacuum caused BY tho
explosion had caused the air in the houses to.
burst them. In Mr.. Prices house, the heavy told-
ing doors between the parlors, which were closed
ut the time, were forced violently from the hing
es, and carried to the end ot the room. The
windows and doors, in every case, were driven.
outwurds.
The tire of one wagon, weighing one hundrer
pounds, was thrown distance OF two hundred
feet, and fragment of another tire, four inches
broad, was driven directly through the trunk oil
a large tree. Though nothing Gun be found oil
the wagons except small fragments, the places
road, which, by the force OF the. explosion, ha.
been sunk nearly two feet. ... g..-s.g.a
Nearly all the houses along Orange street, as
far Tenth, have the glass broken und the plus.
er of the interior shattered from the walls. 1On
Market street, adjoining the residence OF Jas. II.
Price, the elegant dwellings Of John r. Platter
John II. Price and Joseph T. Price, were great
y injured and the furniture and glassware broken.
Seven dwellings on Thirteenth street, called
shattered and the plaster detached from the walls
aud ceilings. -. H
The explosion caused terrible sensation
throughout the city. Iii the neighborhood, the
people rushed from the houses IN great terror
A gentleman riding on horseback some. distance
from the head OF the wagon, felt the ground
trembling, and at the same moment was lifted
from his horse, aud seeing the windows falling
into the street, thought an earthquake had occur
red. Many suppose that persons passing along
the street at the time were killed, and their bod
les destroyed. So fur, only five are known to
have been killed. The bodies or fragments OF
four have been found, and an inquest held Un the
remains by John Moure, Deputy Coroner.
The explosion was felt at the brick meeting
house, thirty-ive miles South of Wilmington,
The total loss is estimated at not less than
: $4,000, including the powder and teams, valued
ut $4,000 The Messrs. Dupont are on tho
ground, actively engaged in doing all they can
, to relieve the sufferers. They declare their in
ten,ion to pay all the damage done to property.
Among the injured is the wife of Richard Rey-
nolds, wko had her leg broken. A lady living
near Bishop Lees residence says that few mo-
ments before the explosion, she saw man walk
ing towards the wagons. The explosion prostrat.
ed her, and when she recovered she could see
nothing Of the man, and thinks without doubt,
he was killed. @Aa f " u is'aa VA 91.a @HI
Anti-SlaVery Convention.