Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-02-09

azenruzaGsaiEkIEz.eclEzA
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION OF GUsrowDER.
-French's ball and cartridge factory,
at RavneswoOd, Long Island, exploded
on Saturday, the 28th ult. About
twenty persons were instantly killed,
mostly boys and girls, who were en-
ployed filing cartridges. Upr-m
$4,000 cartridges exploded The
houses for miles around and breaking
windows. The appearance Of the place
on Sunday, is described as sickening to
the last degree. The following is from
the New York Herald of Monday:
The place of the explosion presented
q sickening and revolving appesrace.-
The lot on which the powder factory
stood was covered with spots Of blood,
where the mangled remains Of the un-
fortunates had been thrown BY the tre-
niendous force of the explosion. Stand
inc in a main road between two lots,
both of which were covered with peo-
ple, we did not know which way to turn
to find the ruined factory. Speaking to
a'bystander, "Can you inform us where
the powder mill stood?" we said. "The
hell-engendered factory stood there"
he answered, pointing to a heap of
stones few yards distant. "Look
around and see what it has done-see
the brains spattered against this fence. I"
We looked where our informant pointed,
and there, sure enough, upon a white
washed board fence, was a quantity Of
human brains, smearing an erea of two
or three feet in diameter. 1t was a
narrowing sight. Turning from this,
we walked to where the factory stood.
This was an open lot, about one hun
dred feet square, surrounded by white
board fence, and covered over with
large blocks of stone taken from a quar-
ry on the lot. The factory was sort
of wooden shanty, standing on founda-
ton of stones loosely thrown together,
in size about twenty by twenty-five feet.
Nothing of it remained except the
stones. The whole building was shiv-
cred into splinters, scattered in all di
rections, as if shower of chips had
fallen upon the place. Here and there
lay spots of blood and brains, where the
mangled limbs and bodies of the dead
had fallen. Some had fallen upon the
ground, some had been driven against
the rocks, and others fell upon the stones
which lay in the lot. Pieces of cloth
ing lay here and there; but yesterday
all the remains of the dead had been
picked up. Those upon the spot state
that after the explosion bowels hung
dangling from limbs of trees, and heads
were severed from bodies and thrown
to the distance of nearly a hundred
yards. 1t was truly sorry sight.
One corpse Of woman is still left in
a small house near the factory un-
claimed by any of her friends-so
biackened and mutilated is she that
she cannot be recognized. The sight
presented in the chamber where this
corpse lay. was almost enough to freeze
the heart blood of any one who looked
upon it. On board rested the corpse,
face downwards, thick cloth and piece
of carpet covering it. One arm was
blown off at the elbow; one side of the
head was burned to a crisp, and the
body was cold, charred cinder. The
board on which this girl was placed lay
across two barrels. We asked where
had the other bodies been taken
"Look in those barrels" said a gentle
man near US, "and you will see the
corpses of all excepting three or four
which have been recognized and carried
away" We gazed into these barrels,
and there lay the mortal remains of near
q dozen human beings. The eyes rested
on cold and palIid hand, piece of a
Jaw, the forehead of human being all
cIotted with blood, foot, a bunch of
fingers, eyes torn from their socket,
brains scooped up, forming jelley-like
mass, and chunks of flesh burned and
crisped, forming a spectacle of horror.
Who could look on such sight with
eoldness! A fend, even, would have
felt sick at heart, if such spectacle had
been placed before him.
Among the horrible incidents of the
catastrophe which were related to us by
eye witnesses was the following: AS
soon as the news of the calamity was
spread through the village, the af-
fighted parents hastened instantly to
the fearful scene, each intent upon OBJ
tanning. at least, the body of his child.
One OF these-a father-after search
ing in vain for hours among the frag-
ments of the dead, at last recognized
the features of his son. But what a
recognitionl He beheld only the head
of his son, lying among the hideous
remnants of the other victims The
poor man. half crazed, seized the head,
with the shreds of flesh still depending
to it, and clasping it to his breast, kissed
the distorted face, and then hurried
away from the place with the bleeding
head in his arms. Singularly enough,
il is said by eye witnesses of the scene
that the face of the boy preserved its
natural expression, and that something
akin to smile yet fingered upon its
pallid lips. We believe that the name
of the deceased is Matthew Riley, that
of the father John Riley.
The scene presented by the place of