Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-03-31
NITRO GLYCERINE.
DEALING DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
Fatal Dieastsr at the Rapauuo Chemical
Compsnys works.-A shock Line
an Earthquake


an Earthquake.
The works Of the Rapauno chemical
company's works--by tho explosion of
which on Saturday Mr.. Lammont Du.
pOut, the president OF tho company, four
employees and q visiting friend OF Mr..
Dupont were killed-arc situated ON the
New Jersey side of the Delaware river.
south OF rhompson's poiut, about ton
miles from Philadelphia. The grounds
comprise several hundred acres, on which
a largo number Of buildings arc erected
These are used in the manufacture of
nitro Glycerine and other explosives. They
are stationed at certain distances from
each other as n matter Of safety, and the
amount Of nitro glycorirc in the " n. G..
house, In which the explosion occurred, is
variously estimated from GOO to 1000
pounds.
Mr.. Dupont and his friend had been
Joined in their rounds by Superintendent
Hill and devoted about half an hour 70
visiting, together, several departments Of
the works, iu which $50 men were employ
ed. Returning to the office they had been
seated but few moments when a mes
sengcr rushed in with the startling
announcement Something wrong ut the
n. G.. house. You are wanted there at
once" Superintendent Hill sprang to
his feet and started for the post OF danger,
Mr., Dupont hurryiug out with him, and
the unfortunate Mr.. Ackerson following
IL the doomed buildinC were Mr.. Nor.
ton, the foreman, Mr.. NOrcross and Mr..
Lay, the watchman, running off the
charges Of glyccTiuo. The heated fluid
| had begun to Cume, and 1t was then that
| Mr.. NUrcross had sent of the messenger
! IN hot haste FOR the superintendent. The
7 ~ sFHs bot n hAi PNI
pvuads n was supplied with glyc6riue
! from :. 800 pound tank in a corner of the
/ same room, AMI with acids from tanks
/ outside, while from another corner au
| engine, supplied with steam from dis.
taucc, rovOlved the iron blades of the
| agilGtOr used 10 the mixing process, Ia
| the annex WAS another huge tank,
into which the nitro glyceriue flowed
through pipe by gravity. A workman,
who looked through q window when
the messenger was sent for Nr. Hill saw
Mr. Norton turning Q stream of cold water
into the mixing tank. Appreheuding
danger he ran away, no doubt just as
MCSsgs Dupont and Hill were approach
ing the y. q. house, Mr.. Ackersou still
following slowly, though warned to 60
back. The fleeing workman had not gone
hundred yards, Messrs. Dupont and Hill
had just entered the y. q. house and Mr..
AckerSon was mounting the stair outside,
when the men from within came rushing
out. Cnhapptly, they had fingered too
long.
The next moment came the explosion, a
burst OF smoke and fam shot up 100 feet
into the air the fugitive workman was
hurled by the terrible " swell in the air, 80
as he called IT, twenty feet further away
MIR Ackersou and NJ. Dupont were buried
Under two feet OF earth, aud the ruins Oi
: ia building came down upon the others,
> with the exception OF Mt NOrorOss, who
was hurled thirty feet from the top Of tht
outside stairway. After the first momeu
o oi terror aad confusion there was rust
from all the thirty bulldogs in the ground
$ 70 the fatal spot. Tho explosion had du.
q hole in the earth. The powder houst
was moved from its foundation aud draw
toward the ruined building, and the glas
D irom the windows OF the other houses fl
q in the same direction.
/ The bodies were quickly found and e1
humed. All tho victims wtrc dead whe
>, taken out. The remains were no: muc
" maugled or lacerated, bu. ribs aud limb
c were found crushed in and broken. On
or t"o bodies were partially stripped o
. their clothing. Mr.. AckcIsou was
the survivors. Mr.. Jackson, the chemis.
r had been introduced to him that m0rain
at the works, but failed 10 catch his name
All the rest were ar once identified and
the six bodies were placed in hurrodl'
r constructed cases Of plain boards, where
they remained all day.
Medical aid was summoned a. once. Dr.
Laws, Of PauIsboro, was on the grounC
! almost immediately, having hurried owe
from G'bbstOwn, only mile away Th
tub RlPauno steamed of TO Chester
4. where DR.. Edward Harvey, leaving hi
= carriage 10 the middle OF the street
FASTENED on board, and was soon followe
by Drs. Robert MlInor, ClareEcc d
i Lannoy, Hanna J. Pierce D. w. Jelfrie
= aud William Bird, with whom the tu
steamed back. On the way down tn
Rapauno hailed the tug Gersham Mot
y heading for the city, and that boat 500
: returned to ThompsOn's Point, brlugin
o half dozen Philadelphia physiciaQi
Q who, like their brethren from CAcs.uI
found that their aid was useless.