The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-09-26
SlasArtlIr atnion.
TERMS:
FRIDAY MORNING, SEPT. &c. 1852.
From tho Pttsbur{ Chronicle, l7hl
Horrible Explosion at United States
Arsenal.

Laboratory Bpi1ding Blorn 10 Pieces
Eighty Lives lost IA Lalgc No,lsy
Hyaye}-Ssaes, Incidents, DC, d..
One Of the most horrible and appalling
calamities with which any community
has ever been visited occurred this after
noon az the q. S. Arsenal grounds, in the
immediate vicinity Of the city Our
readers are aware that ever since the
commencement of the present war large
number Of hands have been kept steadily
employed al the Arsenal in putting up
fixed ammunition for the army. At first
the work was done by boys, but fearing
from their careless habits, that some such
accident as that which has Just occurred,
would follow their employment, they
were, some months ago, discharged, and
young women and girls, as being more
tractable and careful, employed in their
stead: About one hunnred and fifty of
these, together with few men, were en-
gagged to-day in putting up cartridges in
the laboratory buildings lying on the
side of the hill between Butler street
and the Grccnsburg Pike, when, from
some cause or other, as yet unexplained,
an explosion took place, which was dis
tinctly heard in the city, The buildings
were blown TO atoms, and tho bodies Of
the inmates carried high into the air.
The greatest number however, persisted
by fire while lying under the ruins Of the
shattered buildings, Altogether, about
eighty lives are reported to have been lost
but il is impossible Mt the time we write,
four o'clock, to arrive at anything like an
accurate estimate of the extent of the
catastrophe. How many were injured
could not be ascertaincd, rs they were
carried away as fast as found, TO be car
ed for by their friends.
THE SCENE OF THE CALAMITY.
Shortly after three O'Clock we visited
the scene of the explosion, and more
painful or revolving sight than that which
/ presented itself TO our view can scarcely
| be imagined. The streets leading TO the
ground were filed with an excited crowd,
! including hundreds Of frantic women,
who rushed wildly through the multi
| tude, shrieking and sobbing as though
! their hearts would break. We entered
at the upper gate, and at the very thresh-
old were met by evidences of tho terrible
force of the explosion. The grounds
! were covered with fragments of chancd
wood, canister shot, sheet iron, exploded
cartridges Mimic balls, &c, &c, some OF
1 which had fallen fully four hundred yard,
from the scene of the explosion We
| found the windows, too, of the large
| building Just inside the gate, shattered
and broken by the conclusion, which
| appears 10 have been terribly severe.
A HORRIBLE SCENE.
Ascending the side OF the hill toward
the laboratory buildings, the first object
that attracted our attention was the body
of one Of the victims, partly covered
with sheet. II was lying where it fell
nearly three hundred yards from tht
scene of the explosion, and presented /
most horrible spectacle The flesh hat
been blown, az il were, from the bones
and, with the intestincs, lay tangled
mass, while the face was horribly mutt
lated, and the corpse little better than
hideOus, shapeless pulp. From the hair
il was evident that the body was that o
female, but her identity was out of th
question. Higher mp lay another disllg
ured in the same iTghtful manner, ant
badly burned besides; and around as IA
as the eve could reach, lay fragments 0
human remains-hcrc an arm there a lee
here the intestines of some unt0rtunat
creature, and there the pclyis, and 30 on
Oh, God what n sight; yet the creates
horror Of the scene was yet TO come.
one or THE VICTIMS IDENTIFIED.
Continuing on our way still toward
the smoking ruins, we came upon th
body of female badly burned and pre-
senting most shocking appearance. tn
limbs were swollen TO three times thei
natural size, while the feet had been par
TALLY burned of, and the breast and fac
were frighlrully dislgured While W
stood looking al the remains, a youn
woman approached, and with an agOniz
ing scream pronounced the victim TO be
Mrs. Shepperd, residing in LaWrcncevilI
and one of her best lriendc. She inform
ed us that Mrs. s. held some position /
one Of the rooms, but what il was sl
was too agiiated to explain. Her daugl
ter, she said, was also killed, but sll
could not say whether or not her bod
had been found Mrs. sheppard appear
10 have been a very respectable lady, an
had hosts Of friends, TO whom her horr
Z bic death seemed TO be source OF III
deepest suffering.
1R TIE DEATH AGONY,
Near Mrs. Sheppard lay two womcI
3 who, though burned in horrible manne
. were alive and painfully sensible Of the
. sufcrings One poor creature, who ga,
# her name as Mary Connolly writhed am
Il twisted in the death agony until d
3 spectacle became too much even for q
' crowd Of gazers who thronged aroun
and many Of them turned away file
With horror from the frightlul and appal
ing scene. There were several physician
in attendance, but the condition Of u
sufferers was beyond the reach of med
cal skill, and both died before We left