The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-21
! r,ot,,v,s,le,,l { ,Exploato,,I.

| KILLED AND W0CaDED. $50 u
Especial dispatch to the Evening Ballciin.I
PoTTsrILLE, August l9.---You have read
| In the morning papers OF the terrible explo
sion OF DR.. Lineaweaver's powder maya
zine, which occurred here on Saturday ut.
iternoon. Your correspondent was all over
the ground yesterday, and realized for the
| first time what terrible force can be exerted
by the consumption OF $4,000 pounds Of
powder In one blast. In the first place, all
that remains to mark the site Of the house
is the trench in which the foundations were
| laid. Around this, extending about nun.
dred feet on every side, is miniature des.
ert. the grass burned off. and nothing but
bIackened stumps remaining OF the laurel
bushes with which the slope was scattered.
| This and q much wider zone beyond 1t are
thickly strewn with fragments OF iron pow
der-kegs in sizes ranging from tack-head
| to soda-biscuit. with here and there (but
very rearely) piece which may have been
| half a keg. There are very few stones on
| tins ground. The massive walls OF the
! building were thrown much further.
PATHS OF THE EXPLOSION.
The first thing that attracts the visitors
attention is lane that looks like the track
OF tornado-as, indeed, it is-cut through
grove of pines to the east OF the magazine.
In this lane, which may be seventy-hve lee!
wide, every tree is crt of at a nelSht OF
twelve or fifteen feet, and the stumps that
remain are studded all over with marks Oh
the stones that struck them. The 1ai!en
tops, the bushes, the ground, and everything
along this track, is covered win lhich
coat OF dust. 1t leads directly TOWARD
Mount Hope village, collection OF twenty
L.. Y,nnS framp-0
1 burb OF Pottsyile. The first house, that
of James Galbraith, distant about 250 Varo'
from the scene OF the explosion, is wreck
Doors were blown in, windows blown out
the roof shattered, the walls bnlged out, tht
Notwithstanding pierced with holes, ant
the whole so badly used that it will have Il
be taken down. Some Of the broken glas:
was driven into the bead OF Mr.. Galbrath!
little boy, inflicting painful though not Sc
rious wounds; but there were no other cas-
Iulties here.
The same fate in greater or less degree
visited all the houses in the nelghborhood
Half q dozen or more will have to be tori
down, and Of the rest all will need extern
sire repairs. The farthest house in ths
village, nearly or quite half mile from tht
magazine, shows a hole in the side through
which one might thrust his head. Nicholas
Madara's house stood facing corner OF TIT
building, and as the walls seem to have
given way first at their weakest point, thu
centre, the stones OF which they were bull
went straight out from the house. Madara':
house was, therefore, in the angle between
two lines OF missiles. and was not GamaSe(
by stones but it was shattered by the con
cussion. Mrs. Madara was standing IN TIT
cate. A stone came flying toward her
nl-n q
wards away, struck and shattered the gate
| post, driving the splinters into her flesh
then passing, cut down in succession
cherry and peach-tree, and was stopped q
last by iol est-tree in the woods beyond
Such was the force with which they wer
propelled,
TIE SOUTH WALL
OF the building, after cutting down ire
two feet thick. which stood near it, passed
over the brow OF the hill and over an opel
common. The smallest stones were dropped
first, while the heavy ones were deposited
in the highway at the foot OF the hill, or
the railroad track, and in the adjoining
fields. The course OF this wall is marked
by a swath as murderous-looklng, but no
rs distinct, as that Of the east wall.
To the westward there was compare
lively little damage done, though stone
were thrown as far as Bulbs Head, a mile
away, and some reports say much farther
Latin & Rand's powderhouse, near by, wa
badly shattered. and the breaker and out
buildings OF the Gate-Vein coliery vii
need extensive repairs, but there were n
other structures on that side.
THE CASUALTIES AT THE PICNIC.
Go down the nor thern slope of the hill
across small stream, through grove o
pines, which look as IL a heavy cannonad
had moved their tops and shorn their limbs
over another hill nearly as high as the first
where few traces OF devastation are seen
across another rivulet, and you come to tn
fatal picnic ground, half mile, at least
from the magazine, in peaceful little val
lev, which no missile could reach unless
dropped from great height. But it wa
Just in range of the heavier stones OF th
north wall. Had the merry-makers beer
. nearer the powder-house they would hay
been safer, for there is neutral zone, II
which few stones are found; but on th
picnic ground large powde:-blackenei
stones are scattered profusely, some OF then
a load for two men to lift. Here Andrev
, Gallighan and Richard Vaughan were kill
ed, and ten or dozen wounded, nearly al
on the legs and feet.
, PUBLIC OPJNlUS.
The powder-house stood for thirteel
!, wears, and nobody saw much danger in 1t
Great care was used in handling its fer.
, contents. There was no chance for Spon
taneous combustion, none for cOmmuni
Gated fire, and very little for incendiarism
It was closed with a heavy door, and tn
, only apertures were one or two small ven
: tilators near the roof. Nobody dare light
match or smoke cigar in or about it, ant
no workmen were kept there longer thar
, was absolutely necessary. 1t seemed impreg
nable to anything but stroke Of lightning
.. and it is said that this is the first powder
. magazine on record that was ever strucl
by lightning. Now that it is gone, how
ever, people are very much moved and eS
cited about it. They wonder how the
; could have permitted so dangerous neigh
Dor to stand near their dwellings, all thes
years, forgetting that the magazine was frs
on the ground. They blame it as the caus
!; OF great Indebtedness and misery, and tai!
OF mulcting DR.. LineaWeayer, the agent
and the Dupont-Weldy Company, his prln
cipalS, in heavy damages. They also talk
and much more sensibly, of raising sub
scription in aid Of the sufferers, who al
|, deserving, Tor they are poor, industrious
and honest.
THE EFFECTS OF THE CONCLUSION
are to be seen far beyond the range OF th
stones. On Centre street, Pottsvllie, mil
and half from the magazine, several plate
glass windows were broken. Much damag
was done to the windows OF the courthouse
| 49, b,,,-o,. a, unxrord oyanup one n