Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-12-11
A Terrible Explosion.
Two Hundred snd Fifsy Pounds Of Nitro -0lyoerino
Esplodss st ubqrsss.-.Two Men Blown 20 Atoms
Marrow Escape of . Passenger TrsIn-.-A Scene
Of GenersI Destruction.

n 1oITluio bAPiVoiVhs
Two Hundred snd Fify Pounds Of Nitro oiycerins
marrow Escape o. . Passenger IraIn-'-A Scene
OF General Destruction.
The nitro glycerinc magazine Of the
Roberts Torpedo Comany, some ten
Yards from the track of the A Allegheny
Valley Railroad, about one-balf mile
above Scrubgrass, exploded at half.
past nine o'clock Saturday morning.
The men, Mr.. r. A. Wright, familiar
" known as "Doc." Wright, the Tor
pedo Company's agent for the Scrub
grass district, accompanied by Mr.
Harry Noble, the Western Union telc-
graph operator at Scrubgrass, left
that place early in the morning in n
sleigh to visit the magazine. The
p.4pvso or siasi. i.trisis ---e' 20 rs~s-ss
some of the nito- glycerine with which
to fill some cases that Mr.. Wright in.
tended exploding in wells that day.
The facts Of the explosion, or by
what mischancc it occurred, can never
be known till the great day when all
tbirgs shall be revealed. Tho last
seen of the men they were in perfect
health and spirits, and entering the
sleigh they drove gaily on their way
TO meet a sudden and awful DEATH
As they had taken Ratchet with
them il may have beon possible that
the explosion resulted from careless
attempt TO open one of the cans.
The magazine, as has been stated
above, was situated about one-hali
mile up the river from Scrubgrass,
and ten yards from the railroad track.
The place was unfrcqucnted, and 10
Gated with o view TO the safety Of tho
neighborhood should an explosion oc-
cur. At the time of the accident IL
contained eight thirty-6ve pound cans
of the explosive agent, an amount suf.
fcient to sweep Oil City out of exis-
,ence should it explode in one of the
business streets.
The shock was like that Of an earth
quake accompanied by sharp peal Of
thunder. The Oil City accommoda-
ton, due at Scrubgrass at $50, pulled
out at $50, and had advanced about
one hundred yards on its way when
tho terrific explosion occurred, sbak-
ing the solid ground on all sides. The
conclusion seemed to strike the wheels
of the locomotive and cars, and for a
moment to check its headway The
glass in the windows was shattered to
fragments and the frightened passen-
gers were impressed with the belief
that the boiler of the locomotive had
blown up. 1t seemed as If old earth
had concluded to 60 on a spree Tor a
brief period, and chaos would resume
its sway. The conclusion seemed TO
20 diagonally across the river, and
evidently followed the course of the
same for somo distance. The inmates
of house nearly opposite were badly
shaken up. The house rocked a.
cane, the clock was thrown from tht
stand, the crockery from the shelves
and the inmates rushed out IN greal
terror to find the cause of the nm wont
ed phenomenon. IL was distinctly
felt at Parker's Landing, and by I
gentleman on horse back at the Mar
tin farm six miles from that point
An Oil City gentleman, who was n
the Sands wells at the time, heard th,
explosion distinctly. He states that /
was so loud that the workmcn thought
a boiler had exploded near at hand
A little boy standing near called ou
that II was thunder This point /
fully twenty miles from the scene o
disaster, and how terrific the explosion
can readily be imagined.
The ground where the magazine
had stood was torn up as by SOM
oonvulsion of nature. The trees anl
bushes around wero shattered AM
divested OF their limbs, and the top
of largo old trees were twisted off a
If they had been mere twigs. Th
sight looked as if a whirlwind had en-
vclopcd il and exhausted its power 70
; harm.
As soon as the explosion occurrc
men from Scrubgrass and the neigh
borbood rushed for the magazine.
terrible scene met their view, but with
| out waiting TO examine the site, the
proceeded to search for the bodies O
Wright and Noble. They were litcl
, ally blown 10 fragments, and only OF
! casionally could bit Of flesh, bone o
, clothing be found. Up o'clock !
/ the afternoon the only remains foun
would scarcely fill u cigar box BIZ
of clothing were found on the tree
, and bushcs surrounding the cave o
the river bank used for the magazine
f SO complete was the work of the de'
i troyer II is supposed the bodies wer
a blown into atoms which fell in tn
river. AT the time our reporter lc
: the spot the search was being carrie
r on, but with no hopes of success.-0
CJfy Derrick.