The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-01
BLOWN TO PIECES.
Explosion in a Powder Works-FOur Work
men Literally Torn Into Fragments.

BARLOW -oN-THE- SOUND, N Y. Sept 30.-A
terrific explosion occurred at the Ditmar powder
works, Bay Chester, on the Harlem river branch
of the New York g. New Haven railroad about
10 o'clock this morning, resulting in the instan-
taneous dea tn of four men employed in the fac
tory. The explosion occurred in the packing
house, a one-story frame building twenty By
thirty feet in size in the center of the grounds,
and about two hundred yards from the main fac
tory, large building near the water, where the
bulk of the giant powder and nitro gycerine
used in the new acque6uct was manufactured.
The men were hard at work putting up and
packing cartridges, when suddenly and without
warning the explosion occurred. shattering the
building to splinters and blowing the four men
to fragments The exploding powder, of which
there was large quantity shot up into air
az high as fifty feet and splinters of the d.
ing were blown over mile distant. The na.Aes
of the men killed are as follows: Ernest Dralen,
John Rusch, Max Shafbolt, Mr.. Reinhart.
Nothing was left of the men except the frag
ments of their bodies. Their hands. legs, feet
arms and pieces of their skulls and backbones,
and charred bits Of flesh were scattered in every
direction from FIVE hundred to six hundred feet
from the packing house.
Max Cruger, foreman of the works, says the
explosion was caused by two men shooting into
the building. He was in the packing house at
the time. and, going out, found. two men, who
said they were shooting squirrels. He says he
threatened them with arrest, and they then be-
came impudent. AS the explosion occurred the
mem were seen hurrying away.
r. H. Stansfeld, superintendent of the Thorite
Powder Company, near by, picked up box full
of fragments of dead men; others assisted in the
work, and the remains were all put In heap to
await the coroner's arrival. One of the dead
men leaves family in Germany The others
were single men, Their clothing was burned to
shreds The manufactory of the Ditmar works
was nearly wrecked, one end being blown to
pieces, exposing the interior. After the explo-
sion the lower timberS of the building
took fire and burned fercelv. A large
tree near by was torn up by the roots,
and branches Of other trees were blown away.
The ground around for half mile was strewn
with fragments Of the dead, splinters, packing
paper, etc. The violence of the explosion shook
houses in Barlow, across the creek from Bay Ches
ter. Many widows in John Ellitts Bayyiew Hotel
at Pelham bridge, over mile away, were shat
tered Thomas Dinwiddies blacksmith shop, at
West Chester, was shaken violently, and win
dows in many houses in the same village were
broken This is the second explosion that has
occurred in these works this year. The one last
winter blew man 10 fragments.
The remains of the men killed to-day could
not possibly be identified. MSnysgersons living
miles away drove hufriedly to tie scene, and
some of them helped to gather together the
fragments of the dead men. The windows.
sashes and doors in the railroad station at Bay
Chester, not far from the powder works, were
blown to fragments. and the windows in the
other houses were damaged, but no one outside
the factory was hurt