Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-02-18
Explosion in a Factory Where
Fireworks are Manufactured. -
Fifteen Or More Lives Lost, and
Many Persons Injured.
Description of the Heartrending
Scenes.
CHESTER. Pa. Feb. Il,

About eight o'clock FRIDAY morning an ex-
plosion occurred at the pyrotechnic works of
Prof Jackson, of Chester, Pa. The building
was badly shattered and took fire, and was
totally consumed. At least fifteen, and prob
ably more, lives were lost, and many were
dangerously wounded. The building is the
old homestead of Admiral Porter.
A number Of colored families lived in the
old Porter mansion. 1t seems it first took
fire and while the firemen were playing on
the flames, and large crowd
which surrounded them. the explosion
occurred. scattering destruction far
wide. The number killed was between if
teen and twenty. About twenty are danger
ously, and fifty more or less severely wound
ed The dead are being laid out in city hall
and the wounded cared for in various drug
stores so that no accurate list can be OBJ
tanned. The scene is one of great excite
ment.
The stone house where the explosion took
place this morning has long been occupied
by colored people, and is in poor neighbor-
hood. A part of the mansion has been used
by Prot. Jackson, the pyrotechnist, for the
manufacture of his explosives. The fire de-
partment, although exhausted after spending
the entire night in subduing the Pennsylvania
Military Academy fire, responded quickly
Lines of hose were run to the burning build
ing, and the firemen commenced throwing
water,
A large crowd had gathered. The colored
people and their effects were removed, and
the firemen after being assured that there
was no powder in the place, it is asserted pre-
pared to flood the house if possible. Some
of the tremen in order to get better range
on the spreading flames, got up on small
frame shed in the rear. After about half an
hour of constant playing on the building, a
terrific explosion resulted. Bodies of mer
were thrown several feet high; the air was
filled with rubbish; the grounds Whereabouts
being covered with victims. Some were
killed, some severely injured and others bad
" hurt.
The shock was keenly felt throughout the
city. The scene was one of intense excite
ment and distress. The dead bodies of men
lay cooled on the ground, others labored in
the agonies of death. A number writing in
their blood moaned and groaned piteously
for help.
Many of the victims lay insensible of their
surroundings. and others, scratched and
bruised, with their eyes filled with dust and
smoke CROPPED their way from the scene of
the terrible accident.
The following is a list of the killed and
wounded killed-John Lamphight, boy
Thomas Dollison. aged %; Thomas Ander-
son, Alexander Phillips, John Pollock, JOS
eph Kestner, George Taylor, James Doughty,
Benjamine Gartside, aged %; Perry Will,
Jams, colored; Anthony Barker, William
Wood, member of the Franklin Fire Co.,
wounded about the head and body and died
shortly after removal from the street; John
Daiers, aged ID; Edward Shropshire, an en-
l..
Injured-Chief Dalton, of the fire depart
ment; George Turner, colored, slightly
John +. Egan, William McNeal, fatally
Walter Graham, Elwood Klingenbery, aged
10; VIM Morrllow, slightly, Isaac Showl,
colored, badly; James Cakes, badly; VIM.
Cowan, lower part of the face torn off; Frank
Mccall, Henry Wood, George Potts, colored,
Ellwood Long, Joseph johnson, colored,
VIM. Ward. son of Congressman Ward,
slightly hurt; Robert Taylor. colored, Sc
verely; Charles Delaney, Miss Jane Roy,
colored, badly mangled; Sallie Black, col
ored, Frank Hunter, Lewis Mccullough,
throat cut and internally injured; Hiram
Griffith, scalp wound John Miller, reporter
of the Times, hurt about head, face and
throat, but not fatally.
This victim remembers nothing about the
explosion. He did not even know that an
explosion had taken place, when he recov.
consciousness. There were between twenty
and thirty others injured, more or less, but
were hurried off before their names could be
learned.
The scene beggared description. The
loud report brought hundreds of persons to
the place, to see if their friends were among
the sufferers. People prayed in the open
streets and the shrieks of the dying were ap-
L. I
body in condition to do so turned their at
tention to alleviating the distress. Messen.
gers were sent for all the physicians in the
city, and upon their arrival the houses in the
vicil ity were converted into hospitals, and
the wounded were removed thereto. Every
thing possible was done for their relief A
number were taken home in wagons. and
those who were able to walk were aided to
their abodes by friends. The dead were re.
moved to City Hall.
Prof. jackson thinks the fire was caused
by escaping gas from the stove igniting some
firework. His loss is about $50 900 The
sufferers are being attended by over a dozen
physicians.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. Il.
Professor Jackson has an office in this city
in the charge of his son-in-law. The latter
states that only four persons are employed in
the mandatory in Chester. These are
Prof. Jackson, his son Samuel, aged PC,
Charles Van Horn of Philadelphia, and Mrs.
Brown, a married woman, with two children.
who lived in the house where the explosion
took place. This is a spacious l. shaped
stone building, at the foot of Welch street.
Chester, and facing the Delaware river I'm.
mediately in its rear are the Chester gas
works. Admiral Porter formerly lived in the
house, and it is understood that he owns the
property.
Perry Williams was blown to the roof of
the mansion, there lodged and slowly scorch-
ed to death; John W. Barnes. carpenter, vol
unteered to bring him down and, strange to
say, although he had been in that position
half an hour, he was alive when lowered to
the ground. but died soon after from copcus-
sion of the brain. Three victims who were
killed, were standing on the corner of Second
and WEIGH streets. $50 yards from the build
ing, being crushed by the shower of stones.
bricks and timber.
CHESTER. Penn. Feb. L..
Coroner Quimby. at noon, summoned a
jury to investigate the cause of the explosion.
In order to help bury the dead and provide
for the wants of the injured meeting of the
citizens was held. this afternoon. and $1,000
was raised in short time. Many families of
the dead and injured were found TO be in
actual need. A corrected list of the killed
places the number at Is. The city council
held special session this evening and agreed
tn nrOhihlt tho manufactures of 6.a.-n.l.