St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-03-04
A Terrible Explosion.
CHESTER. Pa. Fahri1ar

CHESTER. Pa, February II.
I This is the blacklist day in the history of our
| fair city. Death in its most frightful shape
has Laid low nearly score of our people, and
many more have been wounded. The entire
city is in mourning. Following close upon
the destruction of the Military Academia
severe loss Of itself to our community-came
! an alarm of fire from Jackson's fireworks and
magazine. This was in the old Porter Man
sion on Second street and the river front.
Prof jackson had occupied it for the past five
or six years. He employed eight or ten hands,
and was running the place to its utmost ca
pacity in order to supply his large trade.
At 7:30 the alarm of fire was sounded. In
five minutes after the alarm, the Fire Depart
ment was throwing water on the building. a
terrific explosion shook the city. The noise
reverberated throughout the country as far as
the Jersey shore. A mass of flame shot high
into the air, and the fragments of tie building
were hurled about. A quantity of gunpowder
had exploded. It was then felt that the dam
ger was over, and the firemen approached the
flames until within reaching distance without
apprehension. A large crowd of citizens
gathered At the time when the citizens were
sure that toerable control had been secured
and the danger was passed, another explosion,
more fearful than the first, gave terrific
shock to the earth.
The scene was horrible, and it is impossible
to describe it. The crowd of firemen were
scattered in all directions, many of them with
their bodies mangled beyond recognition.
Some were SO badly torn that it was impossi-
Bile to tell what part of the body the shreds Of
flesh were torn from. On the spectators The
effect was scarcely less disastrous. Many OF
them were killed-many were wounded. Those
who were not rushed through the city spread
ing the news. Almost instantly thousands OF
people, stricken with terror, poured from ad-
joining streets to the scene of the disaster.
The news was quickly spread to the country,
and hundreds of people came from there.
The cries of women and children, who
had lost husbands and fathers in
the calamity, and the wild inquiries of others,
added to the terrible effect of the masses OF
bloody eorpses and wounded. All the physi-
clans in the city and all the priests and pas
tors were on the spot in short time to dis
pose of the dead and to assist the wounded.
The nearest house was about hundred wards.
away. Many of the sufferers were taken
there, and every other house in the vicinity
was thrown open, aud kindly hands minis
tered to the relief of the victims. Wagons
were hastily Transformed into ambulances,
and everything that could be done was done
to mitigate the horror.
The killed number eighteen, and the wound
ed nearly Or quite fifty, some of whom will die.
OF their injuries.
After the explosion the ground was covered
with victims, some killed, some seriously in
jured, and Others badly hurt. Dead bodies Of
men lay coiled on the ground, while others la
bored in the agonies of death. number,
writing in their blood, moaned and groaned
piteously for help. Many lay insensible Of
their surroundings, and others, bru sed and
bleeding, CROPPED their way from the scssle OF
the terrible accident. The scene beggars de-
scription People prayed in the open streets,
and the shrieks of the dying were appalling.
The fire was abandoned, and everybody ip
condition to do so turned attention to allevi-
ating the distress. Houses in the vicinity Of
the explosion were converted into hospitals
and the wounded removed thereto.