Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-11-25
The Last Nitro-Glycefinc Disas-
From tho PAinsvills. O.. Telegraph

On the afternoon OF the LIST Of Novem.
ber. the people Of Psinsvills were startl-
ed by sudden conclusion Of the doors
and windows. and jarring Of buildings,
as though some heavy body had been
hurled against, or heavy tornado Of
wind had suddenly struch them with .
force almost sufficient to crush them in.
This was followed by a dull, heavy re-
verberation, similar, yet still unlike the
firing of heavy guns in the distance
Buildings were Jared, and trembled as
though shook by an earthquake. In
stantly people were seen rushing into the
streets to ascertain the cause; many
were seized with sudden panic and fear
that we were being visited by one of
those disasters. The reverberation and
rolling sound as of distant thunder was
still perceptible after many of the peo-
pie had got into the streets, at least from
three to FIVE minutes after the first con-
cussion was felt. An immense cloud of
in the direction of Fairport, and then TO
change its color to lighter hue, and
spread itself out in the heavens. This
terrible phenomena at once seemed to ex-
plain the cause Of the great commotion.
All at once understood that it was eth
er the explosion of the nitro-glycerine
manufacties or their magazines. Teams
were Immediately brought into requisi-
ton, and quite number Of citizens start
ed for the scene. On arriving at Fair
port it would be impossible to describe
the scene which the town presented. The
whole place seemed at first complete
mass Of ruins. The buildings were shat
tered, the doors blown off their hinges,
the windows all smashed in. plastering
of, crockery, lamps and looking-glasses
demolished, chimneys torn down, stoves
overturned, and everything in the houses
in utter chaos. But if the scene was
terrible within; it was still more so with
out The whole population nearly were
in the street, wild and crazed. The crash
had come 80 sudden, and the concussion
had been SO great, so affecting their
minds and nerves, that many were for
the time perfectly insane. Some Of the
men, we are told, were for q few minutes
attacking each other, and women were
insanely struggling, while all were loud
ly weeping and wailing. Children were
running wildly about, screaming in ter
ror, as if seeking protection, while 9TH
ers were struggling and screaming in
the arms, of their mothers, who were
rushing hitber and thither, not knowing
what to do OF where to go.
1t is said to have been one of the most
heart-rending scenes which could be inn
agined, In a few moments it was ascer-
tanned that both the magazines Of the
Glycerine Company, situated on the
West side of the river had exploded, and
that four men who were at work in or
near them were blown to atoms. And
here q new scene of terror was witnessed.
The cries and grief of the wife and lit
tie ones of one of the lost men, on hear
ing of his fate, filled the stoutest hearts
with pity. It was q scene never to be
forgotten. Itseems that there were four
men at work in and about the magazines
which we're located about fifteen rods
from the west side Of the river. The i'm
mediate cause Of the explosion is not
and never will be known. It is suppos.
posed that Mr.. M. Malone was digging
a pit for new magazine, and that one
of the men was engaged in putting glyc.
crime into cans from the jars ID the mag
azines ready for shipping, while the
other two were in some way assisting, by
carrying glycering backwards and for
wards between the magazines and the
manufactory. The explosion Of the two
magazines, which were near each other,
was simultaneous. The men were all
blown to atoms. So far a. We have heard
only one piece of flesh has been found
not larger than mans hand and bone,
apparently part of rib.
The conclusion or force of the explo-
sion preceded the report by several sec
onds, SO that the FIRST warning that the
people Of Fairport had was the crash
ing in Of their doors and windows, the
falling Of plastering, upsetting Of furni-s
ture, and racking and cracking of the
buildings. People, both in and out Of
doors, we're thrown violently down, and
several were made for short time insen-
sible. There is not house or building,
as we understand, left in Fairport which
is now anywise tenantable. Tuesday
night was terrible one for the people
Of Fairport, who were turned into he
street instantly, and exposed to the cold
winds Of the night. 70 add to their
terror IL Was ronnrfo1 that thoua -. -