The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-11-08
DOUBLE DISASTER.
An Explosion in Dynamite Manu-.
factory
hiIfS Three of ihe WOrksmeu There
and Shakes Down a EricA stack
Five Miles On, killing
Seven Others.

READING, Pa, Nov. S-Intense excite
mcnt WAS caused near Robesonia about
otlpch Il;Ur day afternoon by the trc-
N M is explosion of the dynamite wor Of
Ii y. stump 4 Co, situated about three
quarters OF mile from here Three men
working inside the works wore blown to
atoms, and two others working on the
outside ON a saaifol were hurled
considerable distance and injured so badly
that they will die The shock OF the
explosion was so great that it shook buildings
Mt Heading, a distance of eighteen miles
People at that place became alarmed and be
lieved another earthquake IVES in progress
The works were totally blown in splnters
and flying timber hurled distance of a
quarter of a mile. Dwelling houses for a
great distance were greatly damaged by fly
ing missiles and those in close proximity
were almost totally ruined. Many of the
inmates made narrow escapes with their
lives after the explosion.
People for miles around rushed to the scene.
The sight that met their eyes was terrible in
the extreme Three men who were at work
packing some of the explosive material We're
found torn to pieces, and one of their number
was found on a large oak tree about half a
quare away, his head. blown Off, and the
lower part Of his body torn to shreds
The other two Were found in small pieces
considerable distance away. The pieces of
the dead men were picked up and
placed in box To recognize them and TO
which persons they belonged was utterly i'm
possible
The killed are: Frank Stats, aged 80,
married, but no children. Frank Knapp,
aged 2l; single Joseph Knous, aged %;
single.
A church in the vicinity was unroofed and
otherwise badly damaged. The explosion
tore hole in the earth to the depth of four
feet.
The injured are Harry Smith and William
Gross.
TERRIBLE EFFECT FIVE MILES AWAY.
As q result of the above explosion. \
distressing accident occurred at Rohasonia
almost simultaneously, being the falling of
the large furnace-Staek of Furgesna, White
& Co. A scatfoldIng was erected around
the stack for the purpose of refining it The
stack began to sway, and before the men
could realize their dangerous position the
structure crumbled together, burying the I'M
fortunate men in the ruins Ten or twelve
were engaged in repairing the stack,
seven of whom were on the inside The
news spread rapidly. The wives and Children
of the men rushed frantically to and fro The
scene Of the accident is but five miles from
the terrible dynamite explosion, and the
shock is supposed to have caused the stack tc
fall
Those killed are: Henry Spangler, aged
AZ, of Myerstown, has wife and six chill
dren; Joseph Reed, aged So has family
Davilla Beckley, aged AZ, has a wife and
| child; Henry Foote, aged As married and
six children; Fred Foreman, aged SO, has G
wife and five children; Monroe PETER, mar
ried; David Hardin, single, aged As
| The wounded are: Lewis Dietrich, o.
| Allentown, wounded about the face
Jonathan Pfeiffer, Of Lebanon, internally
injured; James McCloskey, of Robesonia
injured internally; George Reinbarth, o.
Myerstown, hurt about the face; Jacob Fox
hurt in face and limbs and internally in
jured; Charles Meyer, of Robesonia
| slightly wounded internally; JOIN
Weinholdt, of Robcsonia, wounded slightly
The coroner went at once to the scene o
the accident On his arrival but one mai
had been taken from the ruins, Fred Fore
man, whose body was at once taken to hi
late home. The remains of the others res
beneath at least 1876 tons of brick and stone
The employees of the furnace are engaged i
removing the debris from the bodies of tn
deceased, and will succeed in their efforts bt
fore daylight when the coroner will mold a
inquest. The village Of Robesonia, whic
contains a population of about ZOO,
shrouded in GLOOM and much sympathy
felt for the families of the deceased.
READING, Pa, Nov. Sup to noon FIR
day the bodies of three of the seven me
buried under the ruins of the dismantle
stack at the RobinSonia furnace were L,
covered They were urned beyond reeos
milton. Four other bodies are buried b.
meath several hundred tons of debris. tt
force of the dynamite explosion at Stouch
} burg was felt within radius of thirty mile