New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-06-08
viii villasnous saltpetre Explode

The following account of the awful effects of
the recent explosion in Wilmington, Del, will
DO read with interest
On Wednesday, three wagons filled with pow
der from Dupont's Mills, exploded at the corner
of Fourteenth and Orange streets, opposite to
the residence of Bishop Lee. The report, or
series of reports, was tremendous, and the effects
were frightful. The wagons were OF course de-
molished !, fifteen horses were destroyed; but
the loss of life was the most lamentable feature
Of the calamity The list of killed and wounded,
as far as ascertained, is as follows:
John Keys, driver, John Walters, driver,
Thomas Chambers, driver, Thomas Hughes,
colored man in Bishop Lees house, and Henry,
waiter to Jas. E. Price, all killed; John Nc
Iaughlinss child missing William Mccoy and
Mrs Richard Reynolds, badly hurt. Part of
Bishop Lees family are said to be missing.
Several other persons were injured, and it is
feared that other lives have been lost, but in the
CONSERVATION that prevails, it is impossible to
tell certainly. The damage to property has
been frightful. Seven dwelling houses and six
stables were blown down, and some of them
burned. At leas fifty other houses were more
or less damaged y the explosion. The walls Of
James E. Prices residence were so shattered
that they are expected to fall momentarily.
The residence of bishop Lee was much injured.
The report of the explosion was heard to great
distance, anu dldTIueu every one. Dub tne exteHt
of the destruction to life and property could
not have been imagined.
There were 175 to 200 kegs of powder in the
wagons, all of which exploded. There were two
distinct explosions, one Immediately after the
other. From the crown Of the hill down to the
Brandywine, there is not window or front door
| left unbroken. The windows all over the city
t are more or less broken, and in many houses
| the plaster was blown down from the walls and
ceiling. At the depot, the plaster, owing to the
conclusion, fell from the ceiling on the clerks
The shock was fearful many persons thought it
was an earthquake. Persons in the street were
driven along by the conclusion, before they had
any idea what had happened. Immediately
after the fearful report was heard, windows,
timbers, doors, ETC.. were seen flying in every
direction. The panic, when the nature of the
calamity was known, was frightful. The cause
of this fearful calamity is ascribed to q cigar
which one of the drivers was smoking. Asmall
stone house near the spot was demolished, and
the people inside of it are supposed to have been
killed. The barns of James Candy and John II.
| Price were set on fire.
| The powder wagons were on their way from
! the mills to the magazine and at the time the
explosion occurred, were between Market and
Orange streets, in Fourteen. The shock was
felt at a distance of half mile; nearly every
building within two squares was INJURED, trees
Frustrated, and in many instances survivors
were covered up by the ruins Of dwellings
which had to be cleared away for their extriea.
ton The Catholic College, which is fully hall
a mile from the scene of the disaster, was con-
siderably injured The upper part Of the towr
looked like city after Observation-Disclosures
lation had been carried every where