, 1864-06-21
NAL &BKAAA EEK.
Further Particulars Of the Isxploaton.

WASHINGTON, Fridny, June 17-There was
terrible explosion to. day at 1a o'clock Ia
the laboratory Of the United Attes Arsenal
in this city, By which seventeen working
girls lost their lives and several more were
badly Injured The building in which this
explosion took place is d oue-storY brick,
divided of Into four rooms, and runs east
and west. Those girls who were employed
In the east rooms Of the laboratory mostly
escaped BY jumping from windows aud rnn-
ming through doors, but those in rooms
fronting on the west nearly all were killed
BY the explosion or burnt to death. Most Of
the bodies were cha1red to shapeless, smok-
Ing crisp, and 1t Was necessary to remove
them on boards from the ruins, as they could
not otherwise be carried
BIZ strange coincidence, Just before the
explosion occurred, a letter W2B read to these
girls acknowledging the receipt of Sl7O con-
tributed By them for the erection Of q mon
nment to the victims Of an almost similar
catastrophe at Plttshurg last year.
Iteeems that some red stars for IRE works
had been made, and set out on black paus to
dry. They could not stand temperature Of
more than 200 degrees, and under the hot
sun soou reached that One OF the stars ig-
nited, which get the remainder of, explo-
ding the laboratory. Tho occupants Of the
building-we1e all females. In the gard were
about 100 men and 800 women at work, !
number Of whom Were burned and bruised
IN cuuaToF1uE to Ert n"ay. ihe alarm was
Immediately given, and after the fire Was ex-
tingufsled search for bodies "as ootnmen-
ced.
Eighteen bodies have thus far been taken
out IT the ruins burned to crisp. it was
impossible to recognize them
Eight females were taken out In sud con-
dition and placed In the hospital.
The scene At the yard was Of the most
heart1ending description.
The parents of many Of those at work in
the bnilding and the yard rushed to tho
ecene Of the disaster to make inquiries after
the safety of tH 1t children, but the names
Of all who havf ,perished caunot be ascer-
tained until tall OF the roll can be made,
and those who hive been saved are assem-
bled together.
Major 6tebbfns, military storekeeper, was
in the building At thu time With several other
gentlemen, and states that after tue powder
on the benches, caught, the fire spread down
rapidly, binding the girls and setting fire TO
their clothes. Many Of them ran to the
way communicated the fire to others.
The nineteen dead bodies taken out we're
so terribly charrcd as to be almost beyond
identification. Three more arc mortoily in
jurcd, and there are fifteen OF twenty with
severe contusfons. Special care vas taken
magazines, in which several tons of powder
arc constantly kept; for hsd the flames
reached this building, the loss Of life would
hare been fearful, rs several hundred per-
sons were in the immediate vicinity. While
the Aremcu were engaged In pouring their
streams upon The building in which tho ex-
plosion occurred. another explosion took
place In the lu1ns, but which only resulted
IL throwing up into the air some Of tlD burn
ing timbers.
Quite number wero injured IN jumping
from the wtndo rs, but the majority If those
who escaped in this way Immediately ran OF
in all directions, which renders 1t difficult to
tell who persisted and who escaped. One
young woman bad an arm broken in jumping
from the window. Thrtc boys arc missing,
and 1t Is feared they perished IN the building.
Only two bodies hare been identified, those
Of Iona Conner and A1Qrg sret uorau. Seven
teen is the number Eiltel-nli charrcd re-
mains. -Four others are badly iujured,
namely, Mr. Moulton Clark, Miss McEl-
fresh. Elizabeth Hunt aud Anna Bache.
An inquest was held tonight, and the fol-
lowing is portion ot the verdict given by
the jury: They ire Of opinion That Superin-
tendeut Brown was guilty Of most culpHble
carelcssness and neglect 10 placing highly in-
famahlc substances so near building filled
With human beings, Indicating u most reck-
1tse disregard Of lie. which should be se-
yerely rebuked By tic Government.