The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-06-04


One Man Torn in Pieoss-Tvees Uprossed--
sticks Of Timber Thrown One thousand
Feet into the Air-The Sksck Felt at n Dis
TANGO Of Thirty Miles.
POUGHKEEPsfE, June 3, 1868.
dull heavy report OF an explosion OF some Kind
startled the people OF this city at o'clock this morn
ing from their sumberx Hssty inquiries were made
In regard to the origin Of the occurrence, bat no
satisfactory information was CLEANED. was talked
OF at the railway depot and at the steamboat land
ing, but no one knew anything about 1t except that
all had heard the report. On my way down the
river on the Mary Powell learned that two powder
houses belonging to Smith d Rand. located west al
had been blown up and, OF course,
at once concluded that the explosion was the first
report OF their demolition. As near az can ascer-
tain the affair happened at the time above men,
TONED. The houses spoken III were located in sort
OF ravine. two or three hundrefees apart. Ono was
called the granting mill and the other the glazing
mill. In che granting mill at the time OF the occur
glacing min there was about one ton Of powdsr.
the buildings were separated from each other BY
All which Is sna both
leading to Walden, on the north side ON the south
side was . storehOuse In which three hundred
Next to It also was another bailding, which was
connected with the granting mill by an iron shaft
then was the situation. At six A. M. the granting
mill exploded with tremendous shock being blown
to atoms. In five seconds after the glazing mill also
exploded with terrific report. The building on the
south side Of the road did not explode but the doors
were blown of. the sides crushed In, and the roof
torn away. The iron shaft spoken Of above was
broken In twaR and fifteen feel Of IL carried the
tops OF trees distance OF five hundred yards An
other piece twice the length bent almost double
When the explosion took place column Of smoke and
dust shot far into the air and visible many miles.
Young trees were uprooted and thrown third OF a
mile while old trees able TO stand the shock were
stripped OF branches and leaves entirely and every
inch of them backened and charred Large num-
bers OF birds were found dead and dying in the vicn
Icy. The SaddeSt part or the AFFAIR Is yet to he told
In the granting mill ut the time Of the explosion
q German named Adam SchOSSler WAS at work.
the company nve or six years. His body was blown
10 pieces His head and portion OF his shoulders
were found near tree about six hundred feet from
the MILL Other pieces OF his body, including limbs,
pieces or charred flesh and part Of OF his arms.
were fOund strewn along on the ground and hanging
to branches OF trees. II was terribly slckening
sight Only about two-thirs of his body found.
The pieces were placed in u barrel Till Coroner
inquest was held the jury returning u verdict in
accordance with the facts. The cause OF the eXpO-
sion IL not known. one theory IN as iOlOws:-FOr
about two weeks past men have been NJ work near
the mil blasting. Some Ot the stones from the
blasts were hurled about promscuously, "A few Iodg-
ing IN The roof Of the gTag mill II Is thought that
this morning one ~ the stones dropped through and
mat the friction caused 10y It's coming in contact
with the powder caused the explosion.
The report distinctly heard IN an of thirty
miles. AZ Newburg horses thrown violently
TO the ground, buildings were shaken and window
glasses We're broken The earth greatly agitated
Had the explosion occurred one hour later twenty
persons would have been killed. rs that number go
to work every morning ut seven O'Clock in The grain
ing mil. neglected to mention that sticks Of tim
Der were thrown one thousand feet into the air.