New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-02-27
EPPLOsION IN A POW.
DER-NILL.
Eifteen Lives LOsi-Tremendous E0tcts
OF the shock.
from The Phasdeiphid Inqsi,er, Feb. u


At IS minutes before . o'clock yesterday ater.
noon an explosion took place At DupoIts powder.
mill a. Wilmington, Del which resulted in the
instant death Of fifteen persons and the w0unding OF
two others. The explosion shook the earth tor IS
miles. The explosion took place in what Is termed
the psckng.mil There were engaged at the mill
at the time II persons, and all Of them, With the
exception Of two, were killed at once. Tue eoopen
were the only branch OF operators at work. and IL IS
thought ths, the explosion was caused by theli
work Ia packing powder IN boxes, &c. 1nere were
al the time some 10 or ~ tuns OF powder IN me
packn g-mill, which was Of course entirely con-
s1med and everybody within the bulldog at tao
time either killed or dreadfuly wounded.
The building in which tie explosion took place IL
a square structure, with thick bTlcs walls and On
iron roof. IL is the nearest to wilmington Oh mo
sei.s Of buildings connected with the powdernIls,
nd is stationed on Brandy vine Creek, about third
~ a mile from either OF the other mills and three
miles from Wilmington. 1t 10 aoabt - leet square
The building was constructed WI special refer.
ence to the probability OF an explosion: Inc iron
roof was SO arranged that in the event CT 40 expo
sion il would open like folding doors, and the force
Of the EXPLOSION would tnd vent through that chan
nell There was an eugine-house ana otner apart.
ments connected with the building which were, OF
course, entirely destroyed.
There were several dwelng.houses in the imme.
diate n.ighborhood Of the mil and they were sll
more or lees injured. Furniture was thrown down
and broken, WINDOWS smashed, and the pofches anu
fronts of some Of the houses Were greatly damaged,
but no one not within the walls OF the fsed build
ing was injured.
There was at the time of the explosion a wagon
with four horses attached. about receiving load Of
boxes Of powder. Ihe driver of the wagon Was
killed, anu also two Of the horses. and the wagon
destroyed.
Strange to say the shock Of the explosion was net
more apparent 10 the city Of Wilmington than in
Philadelpuii Many fthe residents Of that place were
unaware OF tie occurrence until Informed OF II some
time afterward. Beyond the fact that tue windows
and doors OF hogses were momentaiIy shaken and 9
dull noise heard, other casualty occurred in the
city. Those who were in the street were made
aware Of the explosion by Observing tbiek black
cloud Of smoke arse In the direction Of the mills.
The effect was more apparent in Chester than IN
Wilniug on The people of that town Chester were
startled by violent shaking Of windows, ratthng Of
crockcry, sc. ia
Dupont's Mill. are so arranged that it is impossible
for an explosion be productive Of much loss " LIE
or the material manufac ured.
Each de r,nent connected with the manu- actuTe
Of 10 yder il cparate from the rest the whole form
iDg O. succes N Of mills that extend distance OF
tN mites on rand wide Creek, ana All explosionin
one canuot POT ply be Communicated to either oil the
Others Tue eAI lion yesterday, although felt within
circumference 4 10 miles, and desroying some 10
or 20 tuns OF POW or and numbe9 Of lives OF opera
,ives does uoc a,c to any material extent the man
rfacturc OF that arii u.