Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-11-14
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION /!
Twenty Thousand Pounds of Giant
Powder Explodes and Sets the
Earth to Vibrating for 100
Miles Around.
Rummel & Co.'S. Dynamite Maga-
zine Furnishes the Material for
the Grand Shake Up.
Remarkable Escape Of Three Men nnd
Two Boys Engaged In the Works.
Tho Day FOR Mcricles Revived.

hB DHy tUt mtttCtth hCNNNus
A few minutes after 10 o'clock A. NJ.
yesterday our deople we're fairly startled
out OF their senses for an instant from the
report and conclusion Of terrific explo-
sion which shook the frmest building,
throwing open doors in some instances,
jaring down windows that were raised and
breaking heavy plate glass and other win
dows here and there about town. Nearly
everyb ody rushed into the street supposing
their residences and places oil business
were coming down upon their heads, and
each anxiously inquired as the vibrating
sound rolled along up the river, "what wss
it?"
Our first Impression was, rs near as we
can define it, that an earthquake or meteor
had exploded Just over head and that the
top Of tie building was being crushed in
by the conclusion, and we ducked our head
rs gracefully as n canal cook on the cry Of
Glow bridge" The second thought was
that the boiler at Mr.. Boetrch's mill or the
pump house had exploded and m we rush.
ed out the back door to see the result the
boys said it must have been an earthquake.
All was serene in the vicinity Of the mill
and pump house and the employees there
were rushing 10 the top Of the hill TO take
look in the direction Of Toledo. A spiral
column of smoke had been seen to shoot
up IN the direction Of Toledo and large
cloud of smoke was then visible floating
upEard and eastward. A large number
was soon on the hill and 1t became evident
to all that n terrible explosion had taken
place in Toledo, either the gas works, oil
tanks, large body ol powder, or Toledo had
busted her snspenders.
The telephone Office was then besieged
but it was like quilting party, an excite
ing debate in Congress, or something OF
that ilk, all wanting to talk at once.
Bowling Green, Perrysburg and South
Toledo were all calling Toledo and inquir.
ing what was III" But the wires had
been blown down in the vicinity OF the
explosion and the talk was cut bias at the
lips. Mr.. NJ. A. Trowbridgs suggested
that it was most probably the dynamite
works on Delaware Creek had exploded
and the conviction soon settled on thii
theory as the cause of the earthly and
unearthly shake up. Soon after large
number were in their bugeies and heading
their way to tho scene of the explosion
We extract from the Toledo Bee the fol
lowing furnished by a reporter who wal
on the spot which corresponds with the
reports brought back by our citizens who
visited the scene:
AT the time OF the explosion, which oc-
Cured about / minute past 10 o'clock
there were in the factory the foreman n
A. CLARK and Rynehold Gaul, both O
whom were at work compromising the ely
cerine and acids. In the packing hous,
was man named William Heighthorn
Two boys were also about the place, on,
of them IN the packing house and the othe
in the mixing room.
Foreman Clark gave the BEE reporte
i the following account of the explosion
"Gaul and myself were in the factor,
when all of sudden the roof came dow
on our heads and we were almost stnnne,
by II terrible rhock. I managed to craw
out from under the wreck of the building
and fourd that Gaul had been burned o.
the back with the acid. i pushed hin
down the hill and into the creek, the waite
of which diluted the acid. My left foe
was burned with acid also. don't kno,
any more than you do what caused tn
explosion. had no time to think, it wa
so sudden"
The factory and connecting building
were located in small patch Of wood
and their appearance after the explosio
was such - to Indicate that n cyclone ha
:. passed over the spot. Trees were broke
down and huge limbs were thrown to
great distance. Nothing whatever was
be seen of the magazine or any portion {
the structure. The spot where II stood wa
marked by hol. fully twenty feet deel
and large enough to take in small hous
which had been scooped out by the terribl
force of the explosion. Only the shol
piles upon which the packing house stoo
were visible, the res, OF the building hav
ing been blown into saw dust. The mix
ing house was thrown down and j.. SON
way took fire, while the factory was con
plelely wrecked.
Nitro glyceriue when prepared in Ger
tain ways liz commonly known as dyn;
mite or giant powder. It's explosive fore
! is said to be thirteen times greater tina
that of gun powder. There WINS stored
the magazine about 10000 pounds Of dyn'
mite, valued at about $4,000. Me.sr,
Rnmmel & Co. also stored their powder !
this magazine and sb,ut 5000 pounds
. | tl,;a n.ntrtI,nsn.l In nlnei,v I'll,
was worth about $4,000. The unmnn,
factured stock on hand, all of which ",
destroyed, was valued at ST 900, and Il
buildings mud machinery abont the sam
making Messrs Rnmmci & Cos loss in Il
neighborliood of $4,000
Several theories are advanced as to Il
cause of the explosion. One ia that n L,
containing miro glycerine was placed ne'
n stove in a packing house, and becomin
over-heated exploded. the concnssio
from this exploding the dynamite in II
magazine, aud that in lurh the gunpowae
Another theory is that the pncki'
houose caught fire and thus caused the e!
plosion. All seem to ngreo that the
were two explosions, the first one in Il
packing house as above stated. The mo
remarkable thing ip connection with Il
explosion was the miraculous escape fro
death of the five men and boys who wei
on the scene at the time. It seems almo
incredible that thev should have escape
I with only slight injuries, and this is III
one fortunate thing in connection with II
affair. Gaul was taken to u house in II
vicinity, where he was attended by d
Hollister. His injuries consist OF ac
burns on his neck ard hands, and whi
painful they are not necessarily serior
His brother, Charles Gaul, one OF the boy
. was slightly burned ahont the face vii
gunpowder. Heighlhorn or Hockdor
wns burned abont tho face and head, al
was also struck by some OF the flying spill
. ters.
! PLYING srLISrERs PROM THE EXPLOSION.
First "imPressinns" usually regarded
:he best, but this adage did not hold good in
cases when our people were 80 suddenly e
braced with the concussion Of dynamite exp
sion.