The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-02-08

~ W WY 'oli tne ifeU / Ork
Herald
Total Destruction of Frcnch,.
BaIl Cartridge Factory.
About two o'clock yesterday afternoon
the building occupied as a factory for the
making Of ball cartridges at Lower Raw.
cnswood, Long Island, blew up .vl,l an
explosion that shook the houses in the
neighborhood for two miles around, and
breaking the windows of all those build
Ings which we're within six hundred or
eight hundred feet Of the place. 1t was
rented by Mr. French, who, together with
his son, are generally engaged IN The
building. but being at the moment other
wise occupiee, happily escaped serious IN.
jury, though MIR. French, sen. is suffer
ing severely from Commissions.
The number OF persons employed is
generally about thirty, being f,r lie most
part girls OF the ages Of ten to eighteen;
hut some men and youths also find work in
the factory. The exact number of lives
lost is now not known, for, being the af-
tcrnoon of Saturday, a greater or less
number than usual might have been there,
according to circumstances.
Our reporter was On the spot half an
hour after it occurred, and the suht of
such sickCnlng scene he hopes TO be
spared again. Tie site of the building and
the surrounding lots were covered will,
the debris of the building, human limbs,
and fragments OF machinery. We saw a
rnan draw from the mass the head of a lit
tie girl which he knew was that of his
daughter by a bit of ribbon fastened to
her hair; but any other portion of the
boly he would never find, or if he found il
he would never be able to say it was the
body OF his child.
The precise cause Of the explosion no
one remains TO explain. il is known. how
ever, that the stove used for warming the
building was rcd hot, the day being very
cold; and from the highly colnbustibc ma
icrlals which were used IN close proximity
to II 1t may readily he accounted for by
supposng some particle igntcd on the
floor, aud communicating with the articles
in various stages OF preparation: caused
the explosion.
Within few feet OF The building is a
tircprool cell, in which is stored large guam
titles otpowdcr; and this being within the
scope Of the slnukc and flame OF the burn
ing ruins, no one was wiling to hazard an
"pt'''i'' ~ d''N''Pt w iCSIuC thC SiilltI-
crS from the ruins for some time after the
explosion took place.
The shock casioncd by the explosion
was tremendous. and was scns,biy felt at
a distance of six or eight miles; and du.
ring yesterday al,crnnon report was
current i'll Williamsburg and iyn lha,
an earthquake had taken place somewhere
upon the island
The scene at llavcnswood bcggars de-
script.on. The building occupied by Mr.
French for the manufacture of French's
rifle cartridges WAS one story wood bull
ding, twenty by twenty-five feet square,
which was blown into fragments. and no,
single stick could be found that Child
could not lit.
1t is supposed that there was about
twenty persons in the building, ami bnt
three were known to have been taken
out alive. aa
1t is said that the fire originated in the
northeast corner Of the building, in the
Opposite end OF the building from the
stove, hut from what cause is unknown.
There were over $4,000 bali cartridges
made up in tho building. besides cons:d-
cradle quantity Of powder. The cartridges
nearly all exploded, and the balls were
thrown in every direction; but providen-
TALLY no person out OF the building was
seriously injured. One OF the balls pas.
sed through pane OF glass into the libra
ry room OF MIR. Bodine, distance OF onc-
eglh OF mlc, ani shattered the chlnd-
clier.
The dwelling houses within circuit of
mile were more or less injured, having
the glass entirely broken out, and in sew
eral instances the walls were damaged.
Mr.. French'S house, which is about thir
~ rods IRON the tnctrry, was very much
damaged; the windows and a portion OF the
furniture having been destroyed, and II
second story front room was the only one
which the family could occupy last night.
At the time of the accident Mr. French
was engaged at work in small build
ing some fifteen rods distant, ana narrowly
escaped with his life. a furnace near where
he VAS standing was broken to pieces,
and his hat carried away and could no,
be found; he also received several slirht
bruises about the face and body from mis-
slcs, which were hurled in all directions.
We were informed by Mr.. French that
ono OF his boys, d few days since, in empty
ing ont some kegs of powder, discovered
two matches, winch had been packed up
with it.
The people of the village censure Mr..
French severely for not.riDpioy ,ng a great
er degree oi caution in his dangerous man
ufac,ory, and especially for not appointing
Il judIcious and experienced superin,end-
ent over his juvenile workmem, many of
whom were OF tender years. some of them
being under twelve, and only two or
three adults anon. them, if we are rightly
Informed. Several of the Irish residents of
the place ecalne, shortly alter the occur
renee, quite rIolous Oh the subject, and
one was heard 10 threaten TO "sirlng np"
Mr. F.. Perhaps, in consequence OF these
threats, that gentleman, with his fa,ni
ly, have left the place temporarily.
Some idea OF the tremendous force of
tho explosion may be conceived when we
say that every dwelling house in The nm
mediate ncighborhood was shaken almost
to Their foundations. Rev. Mr.. Waite, an
Episcopal clergyman, having a pastoral
charge IN the place. and residing near The
manuactoTy, was forced to remove with
his family to ncighbor's house, some
distance of, to obtain shelter from the in
element weather, every window in his
own dwelling being blown comnlctclv