New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-03-10
POWDER MILLS BLOWN UP.
vvwp,rRa SHAKEN BY AN EXPLOSION.

NEWBURG SHAKEN BY AN EAPLoSioN'
,. or THE LAFLIN & RAND WORKS IN
puINs-REsEMBLING AN EARTHQUAKE.
NrwnuRG. March 9.--This city and the surround
srg country was startled at $3.50 a. m. to-day by
tbree hard conclusions The telephone soon toId
thu CITY folk that it was the explosion OF three
different mills at the powder works OF the Lain a.
Rand Company three miles back OF this city III inc
town of Newburg.s The explosions came in rapid
successlon and the earth vibrated just as II ala
acme months ago when the earthquake shock was
felt. The large plate glass windows SHOOK anu
trembled with each shock. On the hill the WINDOWS
ratified like aspen leaves. The store doors opened
and closed again with bang three different times
Buildings swayed to and fro and the big hagstau at
Wasbipgton's Headquarters, in the First Ward,
swung east and west as If cyclone had struck IL.
Trees auivered and shook as if with the ague ana
steepes moved backward and forward as they never
did before. Many old residents, whose experience
leads them 10 look westward in the direction OF the
powder works when similar shock TO that tnis
morning is felt after the first Conclusion
a hinge volume of smoke. The sky was
perfectly clear and the cloud of smoke
was as white the driven snow.
The cloud was about the size of an ordinary three
story dwelling house, and before 1T rose very hign
another rose up, only 70 be followed by third
The reports were only lew SoOVuuo "P"A' ""N
were heard beyond Marlborough on the north,
Walden and Montgomery on the west, below
Turner's on the SOUTH and across the Hudson on the
east At each of these places dishes were moved
about on the shelves aud chandeliers rocked to and
fro as il a strong wind had blown against them.
Over 1000 pounds of powder did the work, ana the
destruction was complete to four mill buildings.
Two men were. almost instantaneously killed. ana
O third was probably fatally injured. Other build
ings were badly shattered, and the scene at the
explosion was one of desolation. The Killed are
Eugene K Coleman and Charles Brown. Joseph
Coulter was badly injured.
The four buildings blown up were known as the
corning MILL the press mill, the glaze MILL and the
wheel mill. They were about 200 feet apart. and
formed square, being protected one from the other
by strong barricades of stone. The corning mill,
which was of brick, 25x3O feet in size. was where
the explosion started. Eugene K Coleman care
full sober man. was ia charge of this building, and
was at work there at the time of the explosion
There were about $500 pounds of powder In the
building. Alexander COsman. another employe,
was passing from one building to another, near by,
when he heard a terrific report and saw the corn
ing mill blown into the air. The conclusion
knocked him off a high plank walk on wmch he
was walking TO the ground below To escape the
flyiog timbers he crawled under the walk for
W,
other buildings. Coleman, who was at work IN the
corning MILL was afterward found lying on plank
walk. 200 yards distant, dead. His face, haDds
and body were terribly burned, and several
deep cuts were his head and face.
Two hundred yards north of the com
ing mill stood the press MILL building similar IN
construction and size. In this building was 5000
pounds of powder. Charles Brown and Joseph
Coulter were at work in this building. AS soon as
they heard the first explosion, knowing what 1t
meant, they rushed out doors They had gone but
few yards. however, wien the building which
they had just left, was blown into the air. COM
plete wreck Coulter was blown into the creek
Although badly burned and considerably shocked
he helped himself out and and walked some dIs-
lance before requiring help. Brown, who was in
the direct line of the cOncussion, struck by the
flying bricks and tIElbers and injured so that he
lived only few minutes after beng found. There
were no marks upon his body except bruise near
the left temple.
The glaze mill, which contained 900 pounds of
powder, and the wheel MILL with 100 pounds, ex-
ploded about one minute after the explosion IN the
press mill. 1 he glaze mill was situated about 200
wards south on a line with the corning mil, ana
the wheel mill was the same distance south. abont
on line with the press mill and 2OO yards nOitn or
the glaze mill. The explosion in these two mills
occurred at the same instant, making but one re-
port. There persons IN eli her OF these build
ings. With the exception OF the wheel mill, m
which there was only 100 pounds OF powder, the
bindings are wrecked fhe timbers and bricks
were scattered for 100 rods i'll all directions
while the heavy machinery y as broken and hurled
through the air a distance OF 200 and 300 yards.
The companv's Office, large, substantial stone
building is across "a roadway probably 900 yards
north OF the press mill. In back room OF THIS
building at tine time of the first explosion, was
seated Lieutenant w. II. Smith, the superintendent
of the works. He was thrown from bis chair 10
the floor. Regaining his feet, he ran out OF the
-. IN ia
Every pane of glass in the Office building was
broken the sash splintered as though done with an
axe, and the doors wrenched from the hinges.
The last time these mills were blown up was
about two years ago. Only one mill was destroyed
and one man. its occupant, was killed. lie was
blown high up in the air and fell in an open field
hundreds OF yards away He was perfectly nude
and burned black. Ills right arm was torn out OF
the shoulder socket and he was found lying on his
face Only those who nave seen a powder mill eX-
plosion can realize tne power of the explosive. III
Digs up the earth and tears down the stone masonry
as If they were nothing but paper in the way. he
big water wheel lifted from its place this morn
ing as If IT was kite.