The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-02-22
A DREADFUL AFFAIR.
TIE ExrLosIoN AT CHESTER.
Men and Women Blown snts the Air
and Torn Limb from Limb
The Far City in
Grief

CIR TER. Feb. 17.-The number
Of De, ,ns missing and supposed TO
have erished in the explosion at
Jacksols's fire works is now placed
at twenty, and there were about sew
enty persons injured. The iire
broke out in the old mansion which
was occupied by y large number
of colored families. While the fire.
men, surrounded By a large crowd,
were playing on the flames, the ex-
plosion occurred. The scene which
followed is indescribable. Men and
women were thrown into the alr
and fragments of limbs we~e blown
around in all directions. ihe dead
are being laid out in City Hall and
the wounded are attended at the
various drug stores, which, howey-
er. are not sufficiently numerous to
meet the exigencies of the case.
A panic has taken hold of the peo-
pie and business isentirely suspend
ed. Visitors are ilocking into the
place from all directions.
NEw YORK, Feb. IA special
from Chester says Of the explosion
there This is the blackest day IN
the history of our fair city. Death
in most frightful shape has laid low
nearly a score of our people, and
many more have been wounded.
The entire city is In mourning.
Following close upon the destrue-
ton OF the Military Academy, a Sc
we're loss in itself to the community,
came this morning an alarm OF lire
from Jackson's fireworks factory
and magazine. This was in the old
Porter mansion, on Second street
and the river front. Prof. Jackson
had occupied it for the past five
or six wears. He employed eight
and ten hands and was running the
the place to the fullest capacity, IN
order to supply his large trade.
At thirty minutes past seven
o'clock the alarm was sounded. In
five minutes after the alarm was
sounded the fire department was
throwing water on the burning
building. Suddenly a terrific ex-
pIosion shook the city, the noise
reverberated throughout the coun-
try as far as the Jersey shore. \
mass Of flame shot high up into
the air and the fragments of the
building were hurled about A
quantity Of gunpowder had explod-
ed. It was felt that the danger
was over and the firemen approach
ed the flames until within touching
distance without apprehension, and
a large crowd Of citizens gathered.
At the time when the spectators
were surest that absolute control
had been secured, and that all dan
ger was passed, another explosion,
much more fearful than the last
gave a terrific shock to the earth.
The scene was awful, and so hor-
rible that it Is impossible to de-
scribe It. The crowd of fremen
was scattered in all directions,
many Of them with their bodies
mangled beyond recognition. Some
were so badly torn Chat it was i'm
possible to tel what part Of the
body the shreds Of flesh were torn
from. On the spectators The effect
was scarcely less disastrous. MFny
OF them were killed, more we're
wounded. Those who were not
injured rushed through the city
spreading the horrible news. Al
most Instantly thousands OF people,
stricken with terror, poured from ad-
Joining streets to the scene OF the
disaster. The news quickly spread
to the country and hundreds Of peo-
ple came from there. The cries Of
women and children who had lost
husbands and fathers in the calalni-
ty, and wild injuries Of Others added
to the terrible effect Of the masses
of bloody corpses and wounded.
All the physicians in the city and
all the priests and pastors were on
the spot in a short time to dispose
of the dead and assist the wounded.
The nearest house was about Il hun
dred wards away. MANY of the suf-
ferers were taken there, and every
other house in the vicinity was
thrown open and kindly hands min
istered to the relief Of the victims. 4
Wagons we're hastily transformed
into ambulances and everything
that could be was done to mitigate
the horror. In little time the ru. I
NOR got abroad that the now rapid /
ly spreading flames were approach
ing another large quantity Of dyna-
mite, and rush was made for the
vicinity. Among the dead are DALI
ton, chief engineer Of the fire depart I
ment; Barber, assistant foreman Of
one Of the trucks; James Wunder- (
lich, q well known citizen McNeal, I
an employe near the factory VIII 4
lam Blizzard, police officer Per- +
ry, colored man. who was killed .
oa the spot. a child whose name +
is W nown, was killed while sitting
on tb doorstep of its home