Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-10-18
From the Manchester Guardian, se,t. %.

FRIGHTFUL EXPLOSION AT BIRMINGHAM.-
On Tuesday, 9th, terrific explosion &C.
CURED at the percussion cap mandatory of
Messrs. Pursall and Phillips, situated in Whit
tall street, Birmingham, which was attended
by an enormous loss of life.
1t appears that the firm, having had large or
ders on hand one of them from the Turkish
government being for 18, 100000 of caps, had
a considerable number of persons employed in
an extensive range of shopping at the back of
their premises. 1t is supposed that there
could not have been less than eighty persons,
the majority Of them being women and girls at
work when the accident occurred 1t is sup
posed that it took place in an apartment where
the caps are ''primed" with the decorating
powder, and where there were five females
employed
This room was situated in the third story of
the shop; Immediately beneath was the
workhouse, where large number of women
and girls were engaged and in immediate
contiguity were Others employed in various
operations connected with the manufacture
They were all busily at work. when in an in
slant, terrific explosion took place.
Windows, walls, and roofs, were hurled into
the air, and the unfortunate work people scat
tered in all directions, or buried under the
ponderous masses of material which lately
formed the buildings. Scarcely had the
wreck subsidized into chaotic heap, before fire
added to the horror of the scene, the timbers
of the building having become ignited by the
intensity of the explosion.
The persons engaged in the front part of the
building who were comparatively uniniured,
rushed to the windows, and were rescued
from their perious position by the multitude
who had been attracted to the spot by the
noise of the explosion. A fearful spectacle
then presented itself to those who had the
courage to make their way through the burn.
ing building.
Eight or ten girls were seen half buried in
the ruins, chiefly with their heads downward
whilst others, whose legs were crushed under
the debris, stretched out their arms piteously
imporing for assistance and cries were heard
from those whose position could not be
seen. One elderly woman sat on a beam I'M
able to extricate herself as another piece of
timber lay across her legs. An effort was
made to rescue her but the burning building
was falling in all directions, and she had been
left to horrible fate. Scarcely had she been
left when part of the roof fell in with terrible
crash, and she and some girls in her vicinity
were Immediately crushed to death.
An alarm had before been conveyed to the
fire engine stations, and the brigade were
speedily at work. 1t was an hour or two,
however, before the fire had been got under,
and it was impossible to institute a search for
WY PNot PSOPiN wiz "SiS !hHO"h W w e'iiohSooO
the ruins. The result was, up to o'clock
last night, no fewer than II bodies had been
recovered. All were so shockingly mutilated
and disigured that identity was impossible ex-
cept in few cases. Most of them were bodies
of girls from 10 to 10 years of age.
Seventeen, who were more or less injured,
were taken to the General Hospital, and one
man died in a cab as he was being conveyed
there. About one half of these patients were
able to leave the hospital in the course of the
afternoon but five remain in the institution
in very precarious state.
We may add, that this is the third explosion
in percussion cap manufactures which has
taken place in as many months.