Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-11-15
Terrible Accident.
Explosion of Eight thousand Pounds of
Miro. GIycerine FairpOrt. Ohio, in Ruins
-Four Men Blovn to Atoms- Rndoacs
Broken Eighteen Miles Distant, dc.

Nitro GLycerine- FdirpOrt, OHIO, IN huiHs
-Four Men BloDn to Atouts- Windoacs
Broken Eighteen Niles Distant, dc.
Fairport, Ohio, on the evening of Tuesday,
the LIST inst, was the scene of the most APP
palling and horrible accident that ever hap
pened in that State, the following account of
which is furnished by correspondent of the
New York Korld -
Suddenly, at 4:45 o'clock, the people of the
surrounding country for twenty miles Were
startled by terrible conclusion of the doors
and windows. and jarring of buildings. accom-
panied with deep rumbling sound, like dis
tant thunder or the firing of hundred cannon.
| The earth literally trembled. Buildings were
| Jared and shook as by earthquake. The
| people, both at gainesville and Fairport, rush.
! ed from houses into the streets. The rumb-
| ling noise continued for five minutes after the
| first shock was felt. An immense cloud of
blood red smoke shot up into the air and spread
| itself in the heavens. The sight was terribly
J grand. Immediately succeeding the explo-
| sion a huge mass of debris, consisting of bro
| ken Jars, splinters of wood, clouds of sand and
clay, rose in the air to the height of $50 feet,
and soon after all was quiet in the vicinity of.
the magazines. The people of Fairport had
some two months before, when 1000 pounds
| ignited and caused them severe loss to their
! property, When the second explosion took
| place they instantly rushed into the streets,
| frantic with fear. and the scene that followed
be9oars description. Women and children
rushed to and fro, so completely stunned that
they were unable to recognize each other
The stout sailors and workmen were so nearly
insane that they did personal violence to each
other in the vain effort to keep off some ina
| ginary foe. Your correspondent was at the
scene of the plosiOn in two hours after the
event happened, and had an excellent oppor-
tunity to observe it,
Fairport was in ruins Doors were torn off,
every window was shattered into fragments.
aud the window frames taken out and broken
| To- nieces. Plaster was torn of, dishes broken,
stoves and beds upturned and broken. roots OF
houses blown of, and everything was in
| rnined condition Utter chaos reigned SUI
| preme. Soon the men of the east side be-
thought themselves of the four men in the
magazine, and crossed the river in boats
The scene presented there was one OF perfect
desoation. The only trace of the men that
could be found was few charred and black
eued pieces of flesh no larger than ones hand,
and very few so large as that. The only thing
found to identify the bodies was a small bunch
of gray whiskers. which is supposed to have
been torn from the face of the elder Malone.
OF all the lumber from which the magazines
we're built not a piece or fragment so large as
n mans hand could be found. Where stood
the magazines was but huge cavity in the
earth, partly filled with water, which resem>
bled the crater of volcano. Actual measure
ment shows one to be sixty seven and the
other seventy six feet in diameter and thirty
feet deep. Immense pieces of clay were
henved up and away from the cavity-thc clay
at this point being twenty-five feet below the
surface of the ground. I noticed one piece
nearly the shape of cube. the dimensions of
which on each side were about six feet. The
morning after the explosion a piece of the
brenst and arm of mau to the elbow was
found on the east bank of the river at the
enormous distance of eighty rods from where
they were at work. 1t weighed about fifteen
pounds, and was tue largest piece found. but
could not be recognized. On Thursday after
| noon of this week the mortal remains of the
ill fared men were followed to the grave by
| their late comrades and large concOursc of
! strangers. All of the remains that were found
IN to the time of burial would not fill an
binary sized market>basket. The work of the
terrible compound was no less than utter and
complete humiliation Farport, to day, is an
utter wreck, and there is not a tenantabe
house in the entire place. The terrible effects
of the explosion were not confined to Fairport
| alone.
AT Montvlle. eighteen miles distant, win
dows were broken out of the hotel and private
houses, and the effect was similar in Geneva,
Thompson, Mentor, and many other places
within radius of twenty miles. In Buffalo
and Eric, 100 and 20 miles distant respect
lively. the effect of the explosion was plainly
perceptible-the people thinking that they
had been visited by another earthquake.
The cause of the explosion will probably
never be known, as the dread secret is buried
with those who persisted in the magazine, 1t
is supposed, however, that in carrying the jars
which are large aud heavy, wei Ching near
" one hundred pounds ench-the men acct
dentally dropped one, and the conclusion was
sufficient to produce the explosion. What
ever the cause the event has fearfuIly proven
the mighty force of this mysterious compound.
We can gather an adequate idea of its terrific
power when we consider that one pound of
nitro. glycerine is equal in its explosive power
to sixteen pounds of gunpowder. and that the
amount stored in the magazines was equal TO
12S, GOO pounds of powder.
SYNOD OF VIRGINIA (PREsBYTERIAN.)-
From the Fredericksburg HernId, we cOntin.
ue our report of the proceedings of this &c.
clesiastical Court:
ThmsdOy Nov. 4.-The reports on Syn
odical records were read and adopted.
Rev. DIR. Broaddus, of the Baptist Church,
was invited to sit as a corresponding mem
Der.
Lynchburg was fixed on as the place of the
ext meeting of the Synod, and the 18th of
October, 1871, as the time.
Friday, Nor. 5.-Elder A. G. Griunon,
for the church of Orange, appeared and took
his seat.
The report of the Committee on the Union