Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-08-28
DISASTERS FROM POWDER.


The Explosion nj the Philadelphia Arsenal
Fatal Explosion ut FL. Lyon During the
War.
The fatal explosion at the Philadel-
phia arsenal, by which two boys were
killed and a number of others injured,
in only another of the cases to be added
to the long list of disasters from the
careless use of powder. Powder, it is
known, after being cramped in a shell
for some time, loses its strength and
cakes badly. Again old shells are fire.
quently sent to the arsenal to be broken
up as theyar useless. Thepowder must
be removed, and this is at the best dan
gerous job. AT the Philadelphia arsenal
about twenty boys whose ages
ranged between twelve and eighteen
years, were engaged in this work under
instructions. I The powder had to be
picked out carefully from the shell and
building was especially devoted to this
purpose. .-. ....l
Oftentimes the powder would stick
and defy the efforts of the picks to dis
lodge it, when the boys would knock the
metallic case on the table, but sometimes
would use hammer, and strike it on
the Illuminating portion of the case.
This was dangerous, and the boys were
warned of it time and again, and threats
of dismissal for disobeying orders were
Mt last promulgated for any one noticed
in thus endangering life and property.
1t is supposed that by this latter method
the explosion was produced. 1t cannot
be accounted for otherwise. Immedi-
ately after the explosion of this one cap,
the powder on the tables caught, and
communicated with some cartridges in
the room awaiting cleaning, and in a
second the whole place was ablaze and
the poor boys all suffered from the care
lessness of one of their number. Z
Probably the most fatal disaster that
ever occurred through carelessness of
this kind was that at Fort Lyon, near
Alexandria, Va, early in the war. The
Fifteenth New York artillery was sta
toned at the fort, mounting forty-six
heavy guns. The magazine had been
flooded, and it became necessary to
remove the powder from the shells and
replace it by new and fresh. The work
was given in charge of an officer, and he
was instructed to take the shells out one
by one, remove the powder and have
the shells ready for reflling. About
forty men were engaged in the work,
and it progressed for some time favor
ably. In the progress of the work pow
der had become scattered from -. the
magazine to the spot, probably twenty
feet away from the entrance, where the
work was going on. Wooden spatulas
had been provided for the work, but the
officer being away for moment, ano
one of the men finding the powder
caked badly in the shell he had in hand
reached for bayonet and with that
commenced to loosen the powder. g The
men had been instructed particularly
against this, but to gain little time
he did it. He had probably made two
or three Flows with the bayonet wher
it struck the side of the shell, sparl
followed, ignited the powder, and the
shell exploded, killing the man instantly
The powder in the shells near it tool
fire, and they exploded. In ten seconds
the fire had followed the train of loos
powder to the magazine and with on
dull thud the vast mass of timbers
earth, shell and bodies of men wer
hurled hundreds of feet into the air
No less than forty men were killed in
stantly by the explosion and many NOR
were manned for life. Some of tn
bodies were blown into fragments, an,
a well in the fort IT'S feet in depth wa
so impregnated with the powderthat tn
water could not be used