Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-04-05
A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
A CARTRIDGE FACTORY BLOWN .
Fearful and Heart RcndeyIno Scenes.


jackson. on Tenth street. Immediately north
of the Moyamensing Prison, having its
legitimate business destroyed since the
rebellion, has been lately used by the propr-
etor for the manufacture of Alinie-ball car
tridges for the Government by order of
Mcssrs Alexander, Dick & Lewis, contrac-
tors. who had stipulated to deliver million
and half in forty days, half of which time
has expired
About halfpast eight o'clock on Saturday
morning, when the hands were all busily
engaged an explosion took place, followed u
moment after by second and more violent
shock which shattered the building to pieces,
and sent the fragments flying through the
air mingled with portions of human bodies
The wreck remaining upon the ground
Immediately took fire, and the Mortified
spectators who were first upon the ground,
saw men, boys, and girls creeping from the
ruins, with their persons burned and black
encd, and, in some cases, with their clothing
on fire, writhing in agony.
| The fircmcn were soon upon the spot, and
were not long in cxtinguishing the flames.
| All of the factory that was not blown to
pieces was destroyed by fire, and in very
short time from the period of the explosion
nothing was left but a few charrcd tmbcrs,
| a shattered wall and debris of Mimic rifle
balls, broken tools and machinery, and small
portions of clothing. Just inside of the line
| of the building the body of man was found.
| 1t was so shockingly burned and mutilatcd
! that it could not he identified at first but
it afterwards proved to he the remains of
Edward Jackson, the sen OF the proprietor
of the establishment.
There were but few persons who were
| killed outright by the explosion, and the
1
mcnts. Heads, legs and arms were hurled
through the air, and in some instances were
picked up hundreds of feet from the scene
Portions of flesh, brains. limbs, entrals. &c,
were found in the yards of houses, on roofs
and in the adjacent streets. The walls of
several houses in the vicinity had blood
upon them where the fragments of the
bodies had struck.
The head and part of the trunk of man
were blown into Passyunk road, more than
a square distant from the factory. A portion
of the thigh struck against the rear wall of
the tavern of Mr.. Doughcrty, No. 1924 Pass
road. leaving its bloody mark upon the
brckwork, and then falling into the yard.
The head, which appeared to belong to the
same body, was thrown over the building
and fell down in the same street. The skull
was completely in pieces, its fragments being
|
dashed out. The hair sprinklcd with gray,
and short whiskcr, which had been
,, scorched and sngcd, wrrc All that were left
to lead to the idcntitiCatiOns of the remains
which were supposed to belong to Mr.
Iarnall Bailey, who was in the building at
the time of the accident, and has not since
! been found. He was sixty years of age, and
native of West Chester.
A man who was clcaninG a new SHOW
lamp in front of tho cavern oi Mr. Amcs' II
Tcnfh 5nret above Reed. was pitched head
, long through the doorway lie was not
much injured The lamp was broken tt
atoms.
A human check was found sticking to tn,
= bricks on the front of house on Tentl
street 4 human head fell on the sidewalk
near Passyunk road and Federal street
directly in front of man who moment
before, had been startled by the report of tn,
explosion. A gentleman informs us tha
he met boy going home with ghastl,
head in basket, which he said was that o
; his father.
a detached arm, in its fight through til,
street, struck Il woman, and knocked he
down.
Young Jackson who was killed, remarked
, during Il conversation on the evening betor
that he was not afraid Of explosions. Ill
SAID tllat there were always Two reports
, first a slight, and then heavy one. III
always, he said, would throw himself on tn
!, ground at the first shock, and thus escape
This theory evidently did not avail tn
: unfortunate young man. \ generally recci
J we'd theory is that the accident originate,
U with him in the weighing department II
was the only one entrusted to weigh out tn
explosive material. His body was found b.
n the scales. 1t was most horribly mutilated
- The Misses GcrmOn who were among til
y sufferers, after leaving the scene of disaste
. made for house in the ncighborhood, an,
It were met at the door 10y the lady (0, VIII
% very Indignantly shut the door in their face,
" rcmarkng that she did not keep ii house fo
70 working girls to enter.
There were about $4,000 cartridges in tn
! moulding and girls finishing room--abou
:, 30 pounds Of loose powder in the miNin
l. room, and several kegs and one small barr,
h in the magazine, making, all told, about 20
: pounds OF powder. beside the cartridges.
u These cartridges We're on trays to dry
/ while some were in the hands of the female
:, to have the bullets fastened to them. There
fore there was II perfect train leading tror
| one room to arOthcr