Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-06-17
Third EDITION.
4 O'CLOCK p. NJ.
Further Particulars of the Terrible Ex.
plosion at the Arsenal.

The cause of the explosion is supposed to
have been the ignition of some firework stars
which had been prepared for fireworks, land
of the building. Several persons who were
near by at the time concur in the statement
that the stars took fire and in burning flew
out OF the pan, some Of them falling in and
catching to the loose powder where the girls
were making cartridges.
Major Stebbins, Military Storekeeper, WIS In
the building at the time with several other
gentlemen, and states that after the powder on
the benches caught, the fire spread down rapid.
ly, binding the girls and setting fire to their
clothes. Many OF them ran to the windows,
wrapped in flames, and on their way commu-
nicated the fire to the dresses Of others. For
tunately there were no completed cartridges
in the room, those in hand being ready to
pinch. -
Maj. Stebbens was In position to assist the
unfortunate girls in making their escape, and
to him and others who were near, and to the
soldiers and workmen who were promptly on
Company F, 9Th regiment, Capt. Collins, and
D, 10Th regiment, Capt Tyler, V. r. O., were
on the spot promptly, and rendered valuable
The nine teen dead bodies taken out were 50
terribly charred as to be almost beyond identi-
ficatien. Three more are MORALLY injured, and
DR.. Charles Allen, OF the 9TH Ward, rendered
valuable assistance to DIR. Porter, the Surgeon
III charge, in aiding the sufferers.
Shortly after the alasDn OF fire was sounded,
Franklin fire companies, the American Hook
and Ladder company, and the Government
steam engines Rucker, Meigs and Hibernia,
made their appearance on the ground, and sue.
ceeded in preventing the flames from spread
ing TO the surrounding buildings
Special care was taken to vent the fire
from reaching the large magazine, in which
several tons OF powder is constantly kept for
had the flames reached this building the loss
of life would have been fearful, as several
hundred persons We're In the immediate vi
cinty.
While the fremen were engaged in pouring
their streams upon the building in which the
explosion occurred, another explosion took
place in the ruins, but which only resulted in
timbers.
AS soon as the accident occurred, a telegraph
dispatch was sent from the arsenal to the War
Department, informing Secretary Stanton what
had taken place, and asking that Surgeons be
furnished, which request was immediately
complied with. .y
escape from the building, bat; who were quite
badly burnt, ran down to the dock, and were
placed on board OF Government steam tug
which was lying there at the time = These par
ties were conveyed to the Sixth street wharf,
from whence they were taken by their friends.
The scene at the Arsenal was heart-rending
one. Relatives and friends of parties EN- loyed
at the Arsenal were rushing to and fro inqui-
ring anxiously after those who were near and
dear to Them while the flremen and soldiers
were actively engaged in subduing the flames
and removing the charred remains of those
who persisted in the ruins q
The bodies were in such condition that it
was found necessary to place boards under
each one in order to remove them from the
ruins, and as they were carried out and placed
upon the ground, an excited crowd would
press forward, some with anguished feverish.
ness, to look tor relatives and friends, and
others through motives of curiosity; but guard
of the Reserve Corps was placed in circle
around the remains, and NO one was allowed
to approach them for the time being. -
From time to time, as anxious searchers for
those dear TO them would meet with those they
were in quest Of alive and well, they would
rush into each others arms, and the scene was
Affecting in the extreme. 90 90. ,E '
Quite a number were injured in jumping
from the windows, but the majority OF those
who escaped in this way immediately ran on
in all directions, which renders it didfcu lt to
tell who persisted and who escaped. a! 4
One young woman had an arm broken In
jumping from the building. Three boys are
missing, and 1t is feared they persisted in the
building.
At first 1t was supposed that the explosion
occurred from the eel-pinchers used In cut
ting cartridges, striking fire to the cartridges,
but the evidence thus far is to the effect
that it occurred from an explosion of red
star fireworks laid out to dry In the sun
on black plates. These fire. works cannot
stand q high temperature, aud 1t is be-
ileved that the extreme heat of the sun
to day exploded them, and that fuse few In
among the cartridges where the girls were at
work, with the disastrous results above noted.
Coroner Woodward has gone down, to the
Arsenal to hold an inquest over the bodies.