The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-06-03
Terrible Disaster at Wilmington.
Explosion of FIVE Tons Of Powder.
Great LO Of Life and Property.

"iC&tl AO OE EIIfc sh1kG k-fVpCEty.
GIVE visited on Thursday the scene of
the disaster in Wilmington on the previous
day. From among the accounts publishedin
various papers, we select the following from
the North American as the most correct. The
disaster was fully as awful as represented:
Our citizns were thrown into a terrible
commotion shortly before | | O'Clock Wclnes-
day morning, 10y succession Of reports, as
Of thunder accompanied with a sensible jar
Of every building in the Place, while the con-
cussion of the air caused immense destruction
TO the glass. Doors and windows were burst
o zen as if shaken by an earthquake.
1t was soon ascertaincd to have proceeded
from an explosion of powder at the corner of
Fourteenth and Orange sts,ets, and in that
vicinity the destruction beggars dcscripti, n.
An earthquake could not have caused greater
devastation.
Three large teams, containing 450 kegs Of
powder, the whole estimate d at five tons, were
On their way from tie mills of Dupont 4 Co.
to the wharf, for the purpose ofbeing shipped.
In passing along Fourteenth street the last
wagon was opposite Orange street, and im-
m'diatcly in front of Bishop Lees elegant
residence, the other wagons being in advance
about GO feet. 1t is not known which of the
wagons first exploded, or how the powder
became ignitcl Nothing but fragments re-
mains Of wagons, horses and drivers.
Bishop Lees house was terribly shattered.
The roof was lifted up bodily and broken into
fragments the front wall blown ont, the fl ,ol
broken up, and every window and door torn
away. The beautiful garden, and even the
summer house, well known to every visitor Of
these charming grounds, are ravagcd and dcs-
troyed.
The Bishop and his family were fortunately
absent attending the Convention of the Diocese
in Tcinity Church, a few s,uarcs OIL
\ female servant was in The house with a
c'rld. The later was slightly hurt: tie SER
want was badly cut, but is not dead, as was
enormously ported.
Three he uses on q angc street. below Four
tcn'h, were completely destroyed. OF on,
frame house not portion remains standing
a young lrishlnan, boarding with john
Mclaughlin, was fatally injured and died
Shorty after. Mclaughlin was very badly
cut and his clothes torn off His wife is very
seriously injured, and her child, about two
years Of age, was missing, and ii was suppos-
cd had bccn killed, but it was subsequently,
taken from the cellar uninimod.
The families of VIM. McCoy and Richard
Reynolds, living in the other houses, are all
more or less injured, the wife of The Ia ter
quite seriously.
The residence of James Candy, corner OF
Market and Fourteenth streets, was terribly
shattered, and will have to come down. The
inmates were badly cut by the glass and fall.
ing plaster The brick stables and barn, to-
gcthcr with the carriage house and a fine gar
den, were all destroyed.
On the opposite side of the street, the Gle
CANT residence ofJamcs Z. Price was so much
Injured t!at ii will have to BE rcbnlt.
On the south side of Fourteenth street, the
barns and stables of Joseph Price, John IL.
Price, and James f. Price were all complete
ly destroyed. In the latter, Robert Henry, a
colorcd man. was killed.
The following We're also killed John Reese,
Thomas Tallcy and Thomas Hughes, en-
Dlovol q ( drivers of tlp tpo-ny
The trees along the streets and in the gar
dcns bordering were stripped Of their leaves,
and some torn up by the roots. Fragments
of the wagons, horses and drivers, were blown
in various directions. A human arm was
found at the distance Of 800 feet; one of tie
drivers was blown over the trees and the frag-
ncnts Of his body lodged OH the shore of dc
Brandywine, which runs behind Bishop Lees
grounds.
All the walls and other objects in the hou-
scs injured by the explosion were driven to-
wards it instead of from it. The appearance
of the houses shows that the great vacuum
caused by the explosion had caused the all
in the houses to burst them. In Mr.. Prices
house, the heavy folding doors between the
parlors, which were closed at the time, were
forced violently from the hinges, and carried
to the end of the room. The windows and
doors, in every case, were driven outwards.
The tire of one wagon, weighing 100 pounds
was thrown distance of 200 feet and fag.
mcnt of another tire, four inches broad, was
driven nearly through the trunk of large
tree Though nothing can be found oftho
wagons, except small fragments, the places
where they stood are marked on the bed Of
the road, which, by the force of the explosion
has been sunk nearly two feet.
Nearly all the houses along Orange street
as far as Tenth have the glass broken, and
the plaster of the interior shattered from the
walls.
On Market street, adjoining the residence
of James L. Price, the elegant dwellings, Of
John r. Platter, John II. Price and Joseph T.
Price, were greatly injured, and the furni-
turc, glassware, &C., broken. Several dwell
lings on Thirteenth street, called Bright'S
Row, were much damaged, the windows
shattered, and the plaster detached from the
walls and ceilings.