Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-01-06
Terrible Explosion.
NEAR Observation-Disclosures MEN
KILLED AND ONE HUNDRED WOUNDED.

|
"On tho morning of December 8, about
ll;4o o'clock, says telegram to the London
Standard, Gone Of the most terrible oatastro.
phes that has ever visited Birmingham, took
place at tho ammunition factory belonging to
Nlessrs. Ludlow, at Witton-lunc, Wilton
The scene of the accident is large field about
mile from the Aston Lower Grounds, and
in tho direction of Perry Barr. Here arc
situated nineteen sheds, in which tho work
OF making and pruning Enfield cartridges is
o'rried on, some 500 hands being employed
at tho time stated, the inhabitants of the
ncighborhood and persons at distance even
OF two miles were alarmed by a series Of cx.
ploslons, accompanied by shocks as of an
earthquake and severe conclusions of the at
mosrhere. On reaching the locality of the
explosion scene of destruction was revealed
OF tho most appalling character. Three
sheds, III which there had been working five
minutes before about 100 girls, boys and men,
were mass of ruins, aud in the smoking,
backcncd heap there was scarcely sign
of life. Ready hands wero soon at work, npd
| thc awful extent of loss to human life then
became apparent. a few ha escaped from
tho burning mass, and were linlping off, while
the helpless, who gave any signs Of life, were
quickly conveyed in carts and cabs, Which
had come to the spot on the alarm being
given.
No fewer than fifty shockingly burned aud
mutllatcd but living human forms were car,
red off with all speed to the general hospital,
the condition of many being ptiablc in the
extreme. Some of those taken thithcr were
SO badly burnt as to be hardly recognizable.
Bleeding and insensiblc, they were quickly
put under the medical care of the staff of the
hospital, but it was too evident many suffer
or entered only to prolong lingering cxis
tcnce, till death added new victims to the
list The scene among tho wrecked remains
OF the sheds was of the most sckcninr des
crlption. The field was ytrcwn with tho
mutllatcd remains of human bodies and pieces
OF clothing covered with blood. In one shed
lay tue cliarrea bodies Of seven, and in anoth
er those of five workers, while at the Wilton
Arms lay other five, all distigured beyond
recognition Each body lay smouldcring and
smoking on shutter, covered by tarpaulin,
and beneath this WAS nothing but mass
OF rags and oharrcd flesh aud bones. III
some cases, there was only clarrcd skeleton,
and in others the head, arms and legs were
missing. A human head, supposed to be
that of female, was picked up in the field,
AMI human han3 vas found in tho same
mlnncr. Seventeen are ascertaincd up to the
present time TO 10 killed, but no names can
be given, a Identification is impossible at
this stage 1t is runorcd that the cause
OF this dreadful affair WIS the accidental igni
ton of7a woman's apron, who was standing
warming herself at a stove, Which. strange
to say, every shed contains The scene in
and around the field after the accident was
enough to move the most cllous observer
The eager inquiries of mothers for their
children, and of relatives fer missing work
people, were heartrcn ling. Little groups
wore gathered here and there along Tho road
surrounding pale and suffering victim, bring
lns water, and doing all that ingenuity could
suggest to allay the agony OF the moment"
New YORK, December 2S.-A ZG,uhi
special, from Borl,aux on tho 22nd instant,
says correspondent has interviewed Cha
dourdy, the French Minister of Foreign Af
fairs, who is trying to make peace, and who
said he thought peace was still distant as, to
accept tho Prussian terms to reduce France
to thrd.rato power, would find scarcely a
man in France, rich or paor, willing to allow
the government to give up its territory.
Arms are plenty, and We have offers of more
han we can use from England a'onc Three
months ago, it was difficult to excite patriot.
ism now tho only trouble is to get the nco
pic to be patient. France is now strncyliuo
for existence if she is crushed, England will
feel tho loss moro than any other country
Hngland cannot dream Of the consequences
ifshc should allow Fraacc to be cxtcrminatcd
Russia will then do what she pleascs in the
east, and Prussia in the west. England will
be without single ally, and will cease to be-
long to tho army Of European nations, and
will be reduced to third class power.
Chadourdy then spoke in terms Of decpin.
dignation of the ingmtitudc Of Italy, and in.
timatcd that a day Of reckoning would surely
come, for that cowardly nation. lie closed
by stating that new lovics, in the South and