Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-01-31
Terrible Exnlosion.
Twenty-Five Persons Blown to Fragments at Ravens.
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Twenty-Five Persons Blot0n to Fragments at Ravens
M tcoOd, L. /.
New York, Jan. 20.
The ball cartridge factory Of Mr.. Ravenswood,
Long Island, a few lies down the East River, ex
ploded yesterday, causing a terrible loss OF life,
blowing the bodies into fragments, and scattering
them m every direction Ii is believed that from 20
to 70 persons were killed, as thirty hands were
ualy employed in the building, and all who were iu-
side at the time were killed, excepting two; they
we're mostly boys and girls employed in filing the
cartridges. Three grls belonging 10 one family are
among the victims All the buildings within cir
cult of two miles we're violently shaken, and the
windows in the vicinity smashed. The scene at
the ruins was terrible. The building itself
blown to atoms; the fragments and machinery with
mutilated bodies and dsjointed limbs of the human
victims being scattered about the fields. The re-
mains OF thirteen bodies were SO far recovered and
htied together as to be identified.
There were over so 900 ball cartridges in the fac
tory, besides considerable quantity Of POWDER
The balls flew in all directions. No person out Of
the building was seriously injured. Another account
says that the number ascerlained TO be killed is but
hltesn; many others, however, are shockngl mu-
lIated, and are lying in precarious condition.
Some Of them have been removed TO the hospitals,
others to the care OF their friends.
Great indignation and threats manifested to-
wards Mr.. French, the proprietor uf the factory, by
the friends Of the victims, and 1t is rumored that
he has left the place from fear of personal n-
jury.
The magazine containing between two and three
tons OF powder, was situated whiting a short dis
lance of The factory, but fortunately escaped.
Every dwelling IN the immediate neghborhood
was shaken almost to its foundations. The Rev.
Mr., Waite, an Episcopal clergyman, residing near
the mandatory was forced TO remove with his lami-
ly 10 neighbours house to obtain shelter from the
lnclenent weather, every window in his house being
klo, nl, 49, 4.
mediate vicinity were in the same stale. A stage
happened to be passing at the time, and the
sion was so great that the glasses in the windows
were shattered into thousand pieces. Mr.. French's
house, which is about so rods from the factory was
very much damaged, the windows and portion Of
the furniture being destroyed. Persons who were
in the City Hall it Williamsburg, felt the shock,
and it the general impression that it was occa
stoned by an earthquake. Tie excitement in the
vicinity OF the casualty was very great, and the
heart-rendiug.
The New York Tribune says -
Some persons on a boat in the river who happened
10 be looking in that direction say the building dis
appeared, slight smoke rose from the place. and
then came the dull stumbling shock of the explosion.
vi course all who got there ran to the
spot among them the parents, brothers and sisters
Of the killed, all uncertain Of their fate but frantic
with fear, calling in the most piteous cries for their
children and relatives, and eagerly examining the
uttliSted fragments Oh Dodies which were StfeWn
around For time, ii was dangerous to come near
the place; the packages ofba-cartrdges were casu-
ally exploding, scattering destruction over field
where Death was already triumphant.
The gathering up Of the fragments Of the dead
was work ofextreme danger and labor. The bod
les were in few instances nearlp whole but the
greater number were torn TO shredS. Men were bu-
sy all the day and evening in looking for missing po-
lions of some half recovered body. Here an arm
crushed and backened; there foot, burned and
shriVeed; yonder strip flesh mpaed upon pick
ct; side a scalp, the long beautiful hair
scotched and bloody; under foot, part OF a skull,
whose slippery convexy has nearly Irpped the hor-
riied searcher; there mass OF brains, frozen TO
the consistency of stone. On every hand, under
every timber, on every adjaceai building, in all the
sh:ubbery around, these dreadful evidences OF
destruction.