The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-02-23
HURLED TO DEATH.
Appalling Effects of nm Explosion in n Chess
Ter PaN Fireworks Factory

Appalling Effects of nm Explosion in n Chess
Ter tPaN Fireworks Factory
The people of Chester, Pa, were startled early
in the morning by an explosion in the pyrotech.
mic works OF Prof ]. G. jackson, which killed
fourteen persons, seriously woun led about
thirty or forty more, and shattered every
house in the neghborhood. The scene of the
disaster is an isolated district of he city,
where only a few shanty dwellers live. The
house in which the explosion occurred is an his
torical structure, having been erected IN 1921 by
Commodore Porter. Until sixteen Years ago il
was occupied by Admiral Porter as residence.
It is unpretentous in appearance now, but
when 1t was the home OF the Porter family
| the building was surrounded by hand
some grove of tall trees, which shaded the
walks at all hours. This trees still remain
but the ground is barren waste of
land. The building was constructed OF stone,
and stood on laza overlooking the Della
ware river. 1t was about forty feet long and
twenty feet wide, with peaked roof and attic.
That part Of it not used by the factory was oc-
cupicd as dwelling by one white and several
cOlored families. There was twostory frame
extension in the rear and this was used as a
part of the factory. Only four persons had
been employed i'll the factory up to the NOM
ing of tho explosion. These were the superin-
tendent, Ch rles Van Horn; a son of Pro-
fessor Jackson, and two young women
g,
which received sudden stimulus from the
! Spuyen Duyvil disaster, had become so great
that two or three more young women were en-
gagged, and a room was fitted up for them in
the second story of the main luildiug. A fire
| was lighted in the stove on the morning of the
| explosion, and Superintendent Van Horn saws
! that 7:20 O'clock he went to look at the stove,
found the fire was somewhat low and went
| down stairs for some wood and coal to rekindle
! it. AS he went down he heard an explosion in
/ the room he had Just left, which blew off part
of the roof and SGT the building on fire. 1t
was caused he thought by a puff of coal gas from
! the stove which Sc fro to some loose powder
scattered on the floor, and this in turn explod-
| ed some red fire and rockets which were stored
! in the room.
| An alarm of fire was given, and the three
volunteer companies - Moyamensing Hose
Franklin Hose and Handy Hook and Ladder
| which comprise tho fire department of the
city responded at once, though their members
| were tired by their heavy work at the burning
| of the Military academy on the previous night.
1t was stated by the superintendent and be-
lieyed by the tiremen that there was little or
no powder in the building and only a small
! quantity of comparatively harmless pyrotech-
MICS. Consequently, the men worked with
out fear, and some of them mounted
on the roof of tho frame extension to get
| good position from which to direct
their hose streams while great crowd of
| spectators pressed close about the firemen.
| Van Horn warned them away, but they would
not go. lie and number of others entered
the burning building and busted themselves in
| removing the machinery, while the colored
tenants made haste TO leave the building.
! While this work was going on there was
another explosion, and this, though slight and
upimportant, caused the crowd to withdraw
further from the building, thus no doubt pre-
venting more serious loss of life than actu-
| ally occurred a few minutes later
The work of fighting the flames had been
going on for about half an hour, anl the build
ing was surrounded by throng of iremen
and others, when suddenly a quantity of some
terribly explosive substance was reached by
the fire, and an entire wing of the stone build
| ing was thrown into the mir, fragments of stone,
timber and human bodies being hurled long
distances and scattered over a wide area. Men
! 150 yards away, who thought they were watch
ing the fire from an entirely safe distance, were
! struck and killed. Others were dashed against
trees an houses with fatal violence. Others
again were torn limb from limb, and one
map, n colored laborer named Perry Williams,
jmit of the National hall and an assistant
fireman, WHO was standing on the roof Of the
wing in which the explosion took place, was
| thrown to the top of the main building, where
he lodged among the burning rafters, and lay
| shriekinG and bowling, roasting to death, fol
! half al hour. He was rescued by brave car
| pentcr named John ". Cramer, who volun
tcered to bring him down. He was alive whel
| reached but died few minutes later. Anthony
| Barbour and John Nandegritt, firemen, wert
standing on ladder throwing water on tht
| root of the main building. Barbour was strucl
by heavy stone and hurled $50 feet away
where he fell dead and horribly mangled
Nandegrift was blown off the ladder, but wa
only slightly hurt. Two other firemen wert
standing on tire roof of tho frame building
when the explosion came and their dead bodie
We're picked up nearly 200 yards away. These
| lowevcr, were almost the only men who wer
instantly killed among those close to the build
ing; the other victims were struck by tlyinl
pieces of the wreck. Among these were Johl
Dices a boy, who was found lying on the side
walk with his head crushed by stone.
The explosion was followed by scene of in
tense excitement. 1t shook buildings anC
broke windows all over the city, and called al
most the whole population of Chester to th
Porter mansion, where they moaned anc
s,bbod with anguish as they recognized
friends and loved ones among the sufferers
or ran wildly about looking for those whom
they supposed to be among the victims
Women threw up their aims and shriekeC
or tainted away. Some kneeled On tn
muddy ground and prayed while 9th
crs showed the intensity Of thei
gricf only by convulsive rocking
but vacant staring at the tlames which nov
had undispued possession Of the wreck Th
iiremen dropped their hose and devoted them
Ives to the work Of gathering up the dead ant
rescuing the wounded. They paid no more al
tentiun TO danger than before though two o
three other slight explosions warned them tina
there was still a possibility OF 1t. The bodie
Of the dead were gathered together before bein
taken off the ground, and at one lime ghasti
heap of half dozen cOrpsts was piled up i
the street. The fragments of bodies which weT
scattered around were also gathered up an
all the dead were carried to the city hall to b
identified, after which they were taken to thei
homes The wounded were carried into tn
nearest houses, VIII re they were attended b
physicians, all the doctors III Chester aud it
vicinity having volunteered their services
After seeing that all the dead and wounded VIII
could be reached were cared for the fireme
turned their attention again to the flames, an
succeeded in putting out the fire about
0 clock, though by that time there was littl
LETT TO burn,