Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-09-24

making in all l6I girls and 25 boys.
The rule of the laboratory was to re-
move in the evening all the finished work
Of the day, so as to avoid the risk of ex-
/ plOsiOn as much as possible. In the larg-
er building on Butler street, some three
hundred boys and girls were employed in
preparing cartridges, &C., for filling.
Yesterday was pay day at the Arsenal,
and Paymaster BOsworth, assisted by Mr..
Teese, one of the clerks, was paw nget the
hands employed in the laboratory. Some
fifty had been paid, and only three out
of the number mentioned above had fail
ell to answer to their names so il is more
than probable that nearly all were in the
building at the time of the accident, and
perhaps others, as there was constant 60
ing to and fro between the different apart
ments.
The explosion occurred at about 2 o.
clock, and was distinctly heard IN the
city, Shaking severely the buildings,
and as far up the Monongahela river as
Port Peru. at which point the smoke was
seen.
One account says it was occasioned by
the explosion of a shell, number of
which, being sent OF for shipment, fell
and caused u cOucussion which exploded
one. Others allege that it was OCCASION
ed by friction of some powder from one
of three barrels unloaded upon the porch
of the laboratory, by a man named Frick,
who had brought it from the magazine,
and who was somewhat injured by the ex-
ploSiOn. 1t Is well settled, that the first
explosion took place outside and commu-
nicated to room No |. where little dam
age was done beyond setting fire to the
clothing of one or two of the girls, who
fled in CONSERVATION and gave the alarm,
causing q stampede for the doors. Many
got out and then. it is alleged, some per
sons used their endeavors to induce them
10 return, and succeeded in getting some
to 20 back. believing the danger to be
over. Some returned in search of their
acquaintance and while they were inside
4 second explosion took place, nearly five
minutes after the first This. we are in
formed, raised the roof from the building,
which fell in, burning, and was probably
the occasion of so much loss of life. Al
most simultaneously with this, another ex-
plosion was heard in the engine building,
and it also took fire.
Soon reached the city. the fire bells
were rung vigorously and the engines were
on the ground as early as circumstances
permitted. The Figilant, we believe,
threw the first water. The steamers work
ed well and the remains of the buildings,
which, being of frame. burned very rapid
ly, were soon sufficiently cooled to permit
an investigation of the ruins and the num-
Der of sufferers.
OF the main building nothing remain
ell but heap of smoking debris The
ground was strewn with fragments Of
charred wood, torn clothing, balls, caps,
grape shot, exploded shells, shoes, frag-
ments of dinner baskets belonging to the
inmates, cartridge paper, sheet iron, melt
ed lead &c. Two hundred feet from the
laboratory was picked up the body of fone
young girl, terribly mangled another
body was seen to fly in the air and seper-
ate into two parts; an arm was thrown
over the wall; foot was picked up near
the gate; piece of skull was found a
hundred yards away and pieces OF the
intestines were scattered about the
grounds. Some fled out of the ruins cor-
cred with flame. or blackened and lacer-
ated with the effects of the explosion, and
either fell and expired or fingered in ag-
ony until removed. Several were convey
ed TO houses in the borough and to their
houses in the city. Of these four or five
subsequently died.
As soon as the flames had subsidized the
men who had collected set TO work tore
move the bodies from the debris, and in
the course of an hour ut least forty bodies
had been removed and laid upon boards
in groups for Identification. Never have
we seen such an appalling spectacle
Bodies charred and swollen, were scatter
ed here and there over the sward, some
mere limbless trunks blackened and
bloody-some with the limbs remaining,
but distorted, and the flesh hanging from
the bones in strips. Here was a pile of
undistinguishable fragments-here two
sisters, one dead, and the other in the
last agonies-here a father and daughter,
here two children whose names were
known, but the parents could not distin-
Guish one from the other. Nearly all the
dead bodies were those of females, but
only few could be identified by their
were recognized by the
place in which they were found, and one
was discovered by her false teeth-some
had apparently died in great agony, from
the contortions of their limbs, while the
arms of others were folded as ifresigned
TO their fate.
Was immense and constantly increas-
ed until the grounds thronged with Gu
rlous visitors. Some were satisfied with
q brief stop in that siekening atmosphere,
charged with the peculiar odor of burn
ing human flesh, but others lingering Civ
ing assistance where they could and talk
ing over the horrible details.