The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-19
BLOWN TO ATOMS.
THE TERRIBLE WORK OF POWDER.
Particulars of the Explosion OF -Four Hun
bred Kegs Of Powder Mt Winchester,
Kentucky.

Yesterday we gave q brief telegraphit
accom-; of the explosion OF four hundred
kegs OF powder in railroad'car at Win
chester. Nv. The HerdtdS special con.
fains he following particulars:
A freight train, with ear containing 400
kegs Of blasting-powder, was standing on
tbe Kentucky Central road. when mixed
train on the Chesapeake and Ohio railway
ran into IL. striking the powder-car. Sew
eral Of the powdcr-kegs were broken by
the collision. and ignited by sparks from
the engine. and Il terrible explosion fol-
lowed.
THROWN TO 4 GREAT HEIGHT.
DfBris was thrown so high that II took Il
ten minutes 10 come down again. and every
house in Winchester, a town Of 5000 peo-
ple. was shaken 10 its foundation stones.
Farmers i've miles i'm the country saw the
d{briS in the air. and went TO town TO see
II an earthquake had suddenly broken
loose.
THE KILLED.
Conductors Robert McAlichacl and RAM
dolph Martin were killed, and five other
persons were injured so seriously that
their lives are dospaired OF.
CRAzED WITH TERROR.
Ohio train became crazed with fright and
ran wildly across the country, and has not
been heard from since.
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.
The depot building, the Chesapeake and
Ohio engine. three kentucky Central cars,
and the railroad cating-house were almost
completely demolished by the explosion.
Fortunately there were not more than a
dozen people at or near the depot at the
time.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
Another account saws: Conductor Nc
Michael, Of Louisville. had his eyes burned
out. and is dead. His last words were,
''Oh. my poor wife and children !" Mr..
Randall, the yardmaster, was killed. The
engineer. Ben. Schiller, cannot be found.
Several Others were Killed or hurt. Part
OF the d<briS was blown mile high. Nc
Michael was blown hundred yards against
a fence, and hi> hair and skin were burned
of.
EXPORTS TO AVERT THE DISASTER.
The Chesapeake ana Ohio engineer while
approaching the crossing rapidly reversed
the engine and jumped off, a. did the fire.
man also. Frank IIockcrsmth, OF Frank
fort, Ky.. a carpenter working in the eat
ing-hOuse. was badly injured; also an
Irishman named Martin was killed. He
was conductor on Kentucky Central
freight train.
MIR. McNlichael's wife went from LeXing-
ton or a special train. He died at half
past II.
HOW IT OCCURRED.
At Winchester the Chesapeake and Ohio
road runs due east and west, while the
Kentucky Central road runs from north
west 10 southwest. This Is a new branch
OF the road from Paris to Richmond. The
siant-powdeT. which caused the terrible
explosion, was TO be used on the Kentucky
Central extension. The town OF Winches-
ter is in state OF great excitement. The
terrific report OF the mighty explosion
caused a severe shock, felt all over the
place. and a great many windows were
broken. The destruction caused by the
explosion j. Undesirable. The engine is
mass of fragments. which are scattered
about for a radius OF hundreds Of yards.
THE VICTIMS.
Ii is impossible to give an exact list Of
the killed and wounded, and some confu-
sion rs ia names exists. According to the
best information obtainable there were six
men killed. II is said that no passengers
were seriously hurt. Several persons about
the depot were thrown down by the force
OF the conclusion and more or less bruised.
The Chesapeake and Ohio train which met
with the disaster was local accommoda-
ton train. The blame for the accident it
is impossible yet to fix.
Three Powder-Miis Wrecked By Terri flc
ExpIosion-Onc Man Killed aud Two In
jured.
\ Halifax, y. s., telegram of the 18th
says: \ terrific explosion, heard within Il
radius 0f seven miles. took place this after
noon at the Acadia Powder Company's
works, at Wayeriy, fourteen miles from this
city, whereby three OF the cOmpany's mills
were blown 10 atoms, one man killed. two
seriously injured, and many others hurt
just after the mills had stopped for the day
and the workmen had gone home Henry
McEwan. an assistant foreman, returned TO
one Of the mills. which were all adjoining,
alone, for what purpose is not known.
He was heard TO hammer something one
or two blows, and then the explosion took
place. McEwan was thrown through the
side Of the building, and his body was
picked up fifteen rods away, entirely nude
and shorn OF hair, blackened. bones broken,
and unrecognizable. The three mills went
OF almost simultaneously, and were Strewn
In match-wood over fifty acres Of country.
LINGERING IN AGONY.
No other persons being on the premises.
none were killed outright. but two, named
Smith and Miller, at distance Of several
yards, were Knocked down unconscious.
shorn Of clothing and hair, and terribly
mutilated. They are still alive, although
in terrible agony. Another man, at dis
lance OF thirty yards, heard the first fiz OF
the powder. and instinctively guessing the
matter. saved hlS life by jumping into the
flume which supplied the works with
water.
Strange 10 say, two OF the mills, which
were a. completely destroyed as the other,
contained not the slightest package Of eX-
plosiyes, having been Just thoroughly
cleaned. but went of from the powder im-
pregnMcd in cracks OF the floors and
through the buildings catching with the
first. As the works were situated by them
selves i'm the woods, away from other
buildings. the loss is not so extensive as
might have been. being under $4,000. As
IL was, the amount Of powder lost was only
about 5000 pounds, but had the next mills
caught also, over fifty tons would have eX-
plodcd.
The company still have eight mills unin-
tured, they being built in detached loca-
tions for safety on similar occasions.
->as
Saws The IVnchburO V;ro;n;oo NJ