The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-09-18
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The explosion of 250; 600 .torpedoes In, O
torpedo manufactory ID New York is de-
scrft1ea rs follows by person who saw il.
Three persons were Killed and three.
Wounded. The wonder Is that so few sui:
fered from sucha terrible explosion. We
copy from the New York Times: a9a
A representative OF the Times was pass-
Ing along Front street, in the rear of Full
ton Market. yesterday afternoon, when his
attention was attracted by the noise of y
terrific explosion, and almost Instantly az
cerward another detonation was heard
almost as loud, resembling the reports that
would proceed from the simultaneous dis
charge OF a park of artillery and The crash
ing noise Of the bursting shells afterward.
Then came sharp, cracking renorts
as though a lihe of slsirmisRcrs were
engaged In desultory firing. HasteuinG
around the corner into Bcckman street, he
found that cloud Of dust and smoke OBJ
sc,ircd the whole north side of Beekmpn
street, above Front, from the view. Peo-
plc were seen. running in all directions.
when the cloud was dispsllcd, it was found
that the front Of the warehouse No. 116
was almost completely demolished. Around
it were strcwn fragments of every conceiv-
able article. In front of the house were
seen the remains Of truck, to which were
still attached two miserable horses. fear.
fully laccratcd and trembling with fright
and pain. An aWning-tramc adjoining the
destroyed building had fallen partially in,
and from lamppost that had fallen over
mon it was seen, a human body, dangling
bv one leg and 4 portion Of his clothing
his other limb shattered frightfully, and his
body uuivcrng in the agonies OF death.
The poor man hung for i moment, and
droppcd to the ground, when he was borne
away by some laborers who had arrived
upon the scene.
A little boy was seen lying near the truck
covered with lime and fragments Of wood.
The little fellow was quite dead, and his
| face and limbs were horribly mutiated. He
| had been sitting on In sliding cellar. door
directly in front of The house confirming
| The combustiplcs, where he had been pllccd
ONLY Il few minutes before by his father,
and enloined 10 remain until his parents
return. The father returned to find his
child corpse, and was SO completely be-
wldcrcd with the spectacle he witnessed
! that he was absolutely past any expression
of grief. In Il few moments the child was
borne to the station-hnuSc, the father fol-
lowing the corpse in stupcticd horror. Ly-
| ing on Sjoop directly Opposite was discoy-
1
was crving pitcollsly for her mother Us she
| lay stretched upon the stone. She had been
struck on the hip by splinter, and was
| probably seriously injured. In less than
| ten minutes six pcrSous were taken from
| the rubbish. They were covered with
lime, their clothes in many instances were
| actually torn TO shrcGS, and the bodies of
some SO horribly manglcd that the special
tors. who had by this time formed Il perfect
multitude around the house, could hardly
! believe that lilc yet fingered in their mutt
lated frames. Ihcv were, however, all
living when carried from the wreck, exec ut
the hoy and the man suspended from the
awning. Every window in the upper story
Of the fireworks depository WAS torn out :;
III fact there was not Il window in the
| whole block fronting the scene of tic disIs-
ter that was not shattered. The frame
work Of the doors of the buildings
toppoSitc was in many cases forced iEwards,
as if struck with all the force Of the eXplo-
sion. 1t seems little short Of :. miracle that
| the destruction Of human life bas been 80
slight, considering the "cnrrallY-rrnwded
IcoIdition Of the thorolighfnrc ut the hour
of the day at which the explosion oc-
CURED. After standing ut il lamp post for
number of hours, the two horses attached
| TO the wagon ut lhc line OF The explosion
were taken in charge by OFF cr 4. swans,
OF Mr.. Bcrgti's force, and placed i'll q sta
| hlc, where Il veterinary surgeon attended
| them. The poor brutcs as, they were led
Off evidently suffered great torture. Capt.
| Clcary, of the. second precinct, was early
upon the scene OF the catastrophe, and
with his force rendered Invaluable assist
ance. #'-