The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1864-10-19

Late files Of Enslish papers give the following
detailed sccouut Of The guppowder explodon Inst
took place At wcolwich on the lst OF October.
The acone u the tragedy 10 situate between Wool
yich mud Erfuth, about htteen miles nom LONDON,
vherp the shock was keeniy felt and produced an
eyfll sensation. At first the prevailing idea IN
Tho city was that 40 earth quake had occurred, en-
II was supposed that the Gas works had erplooen,
nnd severed hours bsd elapsed before the locality OF
c,'ns,rophy became generally known. The expo
= IN occurred n n guupowder depot belonging TO
Mras-e John Hall & SINS and almost smu'tanc-
uisly w = rnagazjne OF smaller sze used py
McsEs. Day n n rkcr. both of them located IN tne
~ INSTEAD Marshes. on the margin o. the Ihatncs,
about two miles distant from each other. Here on
about twenty acres i've the families Of few worh-
ing men IN small cottages. Tie Mesrs. HAL hsso
teen engaged In the manufacture OF gunpo"ue'
| fur my yesra The quantity 81 powder stored VA
their magazine at tho tine OF the explosion Is est
mattel at bsivccn less than 2.Occ and l'Vo bNre4N
/ r.lh barrel containing 100 lb'. Thoy themselves
state nj u ere about $50 barrels IN tns ncPH
sud perhaps more than 200 barrels IN nc unse';
| me 1usutty IN Tho magazine OF hessrs' pay au
Barker has not been ne ertsined IL shouli . I'M
drrstood that these were PAGES usod cnhrcly for
,he storage Of grupowder, and in No sense ior us
| manufacture Between their mills at Paverrhain
~ % tho magazine At Bciy.dcre, distance oil shout
| 30 miles, tho guupowder Ia conveyed IN safnng
| bare each Of them nnvgatod usually by couple
~ men, ami two - these, ~ has been stated wcre
| moprri Alongside the iotv dschhrging cargo. lhe
| GA trucks with COPPER wheels along wocdcn rails
IN order H. preclude The possibility at spArs
| from friction, and the operation Ia condur'
| ,l with other precautions such ~ the wear Ne
| It List SLIPPERS by tho men engaged 'n u
| IL u Ruupu.fd that the trst explosion which tOs
place at ~ NJ, occurred IN one o' the bsrsss'
Int Ills s involved ia impenetrabie mystery. Ih'
| first explosion was INN vdately followed ~ Two
others, iar more appalling, which were produces
| h. the cuucuss, ON, ard burning fragments hutl'l
In oil directions by the frs, catastrophe. A. Woor
wich. four miles OIL, after the eSplosion showers
letters, invoices, and other papers, which had bc't
| borne on the wind a distance Of four miles let
| within the Irerincts II the arsenal. lmmelA"l
AFTER tho calamity An immouse pillar NJ smoke ros
| hon the SPOT hish into tie nr, thick, black ab'
| I.'p lblo, with - huge Hpres lins top, anil nDoW
quarter Of all hour elapsed before 1t died away. D
soon 1t was supposed ~ he safe " a.
~, pcvps visited the ruins, and fouhd
fearful scrnc ui desolaton. Not one sion
remained nuon auUther, the very fJundatiOns lie ~
TORN ~. The uaTset with the letty, hsd Teen spli
Into Fragments snj blown into the air. and Al
| enormous rent al been male 10 the emOahkhen
liseit eNpJsng miles of country 10 the pefh OF III
uhdsNun Of tho cottage - the foreman kayne
nothing WAS lsis standing but u bit Of bres va
tnd a doorway Tic l'ielcsH bottles OF the uihoftu
uste man hmse' AND OF his son. a boy, we're ioun
close bv, and his wife and child were dug Out
the fIins alive, but burt IN various ways. chil
niece pi : yer, the foreman at the other depot
WAS killed, while BE- himself escaped with sou
slight injuries. Hs wife, fortunately, bad gone
visit 10 some friends at Maidstone, aie~ DAY
aga, and had MT returned. Nine I"rsons-inH'
glvi, but stll aliye-were conveyei to The hesnts
. Luckily, II dead low water at tho time 81 u
explosion, but still only about four hours wei
available tor tie ,uh repair of TIE damage AZ" II
tie approaching tide Arrangements to resto
| the emlau kinent were Ut once made, anu WIN
| twenty minutes four hundred "navvies" were
work. Fifteen hundred sappcrs and Miners fro
| Wnolwich dockyard were rlso sent W the seen
3, | and a strong eutfenchincnt was soon thrown
d, O'thc killed. nearly all were ienrfuIy mutNate
y aud some reported ''nissiug" must have been Y
l. terly ann.hllated and blown into Fragments
"a otnall frr discnvsry. The houses In the neighbo
:, | Ing villages were badly damaged ; the villas we
r shattered doors were torn ~ their hinges &c
4 | iu-s thrown down, and windows blown
/, Wuolwich suffered Immensely. Immense crow
h, ! O. r.isOns rom l. rdon vsitoI the ruins on 81
~ | urD,y evening and sunday.