The New York herald., 1866-05-09
The Powder MIL ExpIosion ~ Hazard
Willie.

vtlue.
POUR MEN KrLLED-rHEIR BODIES BLOWN TO
PIECES AND UNREcoGNIzABLE-sEvENTgE TONS
OF POWDER OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES AINDUcED
ny INFORMATION, THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE
ACCIDENT.
lFrom the Hartford Courier, Mays
About haIfpas two O'Clock yesterday afternoon the
mill connected with Che Hazard Pow
dor Company's works al Hazardvie exploded. The ex
plosion distinctly heard this city, and In some
places particularly the river, buildings shaken
Snoctod % ' DOWN. Cloud cloud q sa smoke rose immediately
above tho ruins 10 height Of ovor one hundred feet
Its spiral FORM widening and twisting together with us
strange and awful yet beautiful appearance from dis
II seen by persons near Trinity College and
on other elevations hereabous
The Of the explosion IL not known In the press
mill four were employed, and all were killed out
right The process Of pressing powder Is 70
work provided the powder Is kept damp II Is permit
ted 10 become dry PARTICLES OF sand or oher
which may possibly have become mixed with II are
liable 70 occasion friction and II all moisture has been
pressed out explosion Of inevitable. That
there some difficulty neglect Of this kind may be
true though careIcssness in other directions which
would produce the result, not improbable. The
The names Of the men killed were,-Edmund Parker
aged forty; John Keesehan, aged thirty-n William
Agnew, aged af,y and Patrick Baiy ayoung man, who
arrived last month from the Old Country The three
former were married and have large families Agnew
was for many years fireman for the Hartford Carpet
Bailey was quiet modest and but little s known Of him
the other two Informed al Thompsonville,
given a times 70 indulgence in intoxicating drinks
and, last Saturday pay day, there are some peo
pie who think they may have under The influence
OF liquor which led them 10 be careless Their conduct
previous occasions after pay day the reason for this
suspicion
In the press mill were nftsen tons Of powder, and In
a building adjoining, which also exploded, two tons
Tho rs communicated TO piece OF woods by and
about two acres were burned over The flames spread IN
the direction OF other buildings In which consid.
ernblo quantity Of powder stored and their explo
sion supposed 70 be inevitable. But strong efforts
were made 70 stay the progress Of the fire. and jus, a.
time whom further resistance seemed useless, man.
whose did not learn. remained at his post in
the advance Of the burning timber, while others had
udciousy retrcated and by his bodnes encouraged
the rest that all retned, and thqIr united efforts
That Is running more risk than several people We
know OF would run for rich powder company Human
life In the scale against dollars and Of corporation
giving too many odds
After the smoke had cleared away, the large crowd OF
people who had collected from the surrounding
viewed scene not only Of desoation, but Of the most
horrible description The four unfortunafs human beings
who had been ushered into eternity were now 70 %
thought Of and search revealed aterribe sfgnL
Their bodies had been literally blown 70 atomn fos
with pieces OF flesh and bones Not single portion OF
either body preserved In shape, or sumc'en.y
10 tell that the remains were those OF men iuiu "
hair were discovered here aud backcned Jumps OF nesn
there the largest thing found being piece Oh oone 'o
more than ton or twelve inches long
The last explosion at their works occurred ABOUT
and half ago but no hives were lost seems shansc
10 an ordinary observer OF men and Their thn
men can be found work in such place. and stranger
eti when II Is stated that the wages paid are af peov
wbat is obtained In non-hazadous moderately hazard
Gus pursuits; yet told that after each explosion
the Applications for positions greatly exceed the wants OF
tho company, whose prices u may be proper 70 sta'o
apgs ''sm dollar end twenty-five cens 70 thrs'