The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-11-19
A FRIGHrFuL EXPLOSION.
More Than Ten Tons of Powder Go
on In Ohio.

TOLEDO, Nov. 13.-A large guam
tity OF powder stored in shed on
Delaware Greek, four miles from this
city, exploded at ten o'c' ciS this
morning, making a report,v ich was
heard for forty miles in every direc-
ton. The windows ofhouses in that
quarter of the city near the scene
were generally broken. At the
Broadway school, three miles dis
tant, the windows were smashed and
the states holding the windows up
were broken. Several persons work.
ing in the shed were seen running,
and everybody near took this as a
signal of danger and fed before the
explosion occurred. They were all
far enough away to escape danger
except an old man called Fired,
who had charge of the shed. He
was some distance away, but was
thrown down and had his hair
scorched. A wa gon containing a
man and three women in the road
100 yards away was blown into a
ditch, but none of the occupants
were seriously Injured. Fences were
levelled in the vicinity, and limbs
were blown from trees.
The ruins ignited, and men are
now fighting TO keep it from reach
ing lot of petroleum stored near
by
The explosion was in the giant
powder factory of 4. J. d 0. B.
Rummel, consisting of a packing
! house, magazine and stock-house,
situated on Crown Little Knoll, of
the Delaware creek, and surrounded
by a dense thicket of trees. The
workmen in the packing-honse were
thawing out tub containing twen-
ty-six pounds of nitro-glyceripe, and
SET it too near the fire. The tub
canght FIRE, aud the men threw it
outside and gave an alarm. An IN
slant after the tub exploded. The
conclusion set off the magazine, con-
tanning ten tons of giant powder,
known to the trade as Great West
ern" powder The stock building
was blown down, imprisoning the
men working there. and immediate
ly caught fire. All extricated them
selves speedily with no greater inju
ry than slight bruises, except Rine
land Gault, who was badly bruised
all over the body and in getting out
OF the blazing ruins his clothing
caught on fire and he dashed into
the creek to extinguish the flames.
He was taken to a house near by
and medical aid summoned. He
will probably recover. A house
near by owned by man named
Bench was badly shattered, and an
other belonging to Mr.. Wilson was
entirely wrecked. The House of
Refuge, half mile away, had the
wall on that side nearest the scene
of the explosion shattered near the
top. Over eighty Of the windows
were smashed, including the sashes.
! One side was blown off an ice house
one hundred yards away. Barns and
fences near by We're demolished, and
q number Of telegraph poles thrown
down. A panic was caused in two
of the city school-houses. and in the
stampede many of the children were
badly bruised, but none seriously
injured. The total loss on the pow
der works and the powder in stock
is about $4,000. The explosion
was felt at Detroit, Mich, a distance
Of sixty miles.
| CLEVELAND, Nov. 13.-A rumble
and shock that was believed to have
been caused by an explosion at To-
ledo was plainly heard and felt this
morning at Leavittsburg, distant
frem Toledo about $50 miles. Here
112 miles east of Toledo. persons
who observed the motion thought it
was caused by an earthquake. At
Chagrin Falls, twenty-four miles
southeast of this place, it was
+, thought that cannon were being fir
ed here over the election returns, and
Inquiries were made by telephone as
| to what the artillery salute signified.