Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-01
FOUR MEN TORN T0AT0Ma
MILES OF COUNTRY SHAKEN
By THE EXPLOSION.

People Living Far From the Scene OF
the Disaster Attribute the Shock I'd
an Earthquake and Rush From Thsia
Houses In TerrOr-squirrel Huntere
Charged With Shooting Into a Buiid&
ing Full of Giant Powder and NitrOA
Glycerine.
BARLOW, N. Y, Sept. 30.--A terrific
explosion occurred at the Dittman
powder works at Bay Chester, on the Har}
lem river branch OF the New York and
New Haven railroad. about 10 O'Clock this
morning, resulting in the instantaneous
death OF four men employed in the fac4
tory. The explosion occurred in the pack$
ing house, one-story frame building, 20
by 80 feet, in the centre OF the grounds
and about 200 yards from the main fact
tory-a large building near the water
where the bulk or the giant powder aud
nitro-glycerine used IN the new aqueducs
works is manufactured.
THE EXPLOSION.
The men were hard at work putting IN
and packing cartridges, when suddenly
the explosion occurred, shattering thd
building to splinters aud blowing tue fou6
men to fragments. The exploding pow4
der, of which there was a large quantitvt
shot up In The air to n height OF fifty feet,
and splinters of the building were blown
mile away. Tho names OF the vlctim}
were Ernest Dralen, John Rusch, MaI
Schafbolt and d. Reinbardt. Nothing
was left of them except fragments Of
their bodies. Hands, feet, legs, armsi
pieces of skulls, backDones and charredl
bits Of flesh were scattered in every
direction from 800 to 900 feet from th6
packing house. >
THE CAUSE.
Max Cruger, the foreman OF the worsss
SAYS the explosion was caused by twd
men shooting into the building. He wad
in the packing house and on going oua
saw two men who said they were sboot4
ing at squirrels. He says he threatened
them with arrest and they became tmpu@
dent. AS the explosion occurred the mem
were seen hurrying away. r. II. Stanl
field, superintendent of the Thorite Pow
der Company near by, picked up boXl
full OF fragments OF the dead men. AZ
number OF others assisted in the work.
and the remains were all put In boxes I'd
await the action of the Coroner. One man
had family in Germany and the others
were said to be single. Their clothing
was burned to shreds. I
THE MAIN FACTORY WRECKED.
The main factory OF the Dittman worka
ing being blown to pieces, exposing tue
interior. After the explosion the lower
timbers of the building took fire and
burned hercely. large tree near by was
torn up by the roots, and number OF
other trees were blown away. The ground
for half mile was stTewn with fragmentsl
OF the dead, splinters, packing paper, etc.
The violence of the explosion shook
houses in Barlow. across the creek from
Bay Chester. Many windows in John
Eliotts Bay View Hotel, at Pelham
Bridge, over mile away, we're shattereds
Thomas Dinwoody's blacksmith shop. at
WPSchester, was shaken violently, and
the <yA-dows in many houses in the same
village were broken. This ia the second
explosion in these works this year.
THOUGHT 1T WAS AN EARTHQUAKE.
NYACK, n. r., Sept. 30.--Just before 10
O'Clock this morning a heavy shock, rel
sembling an earthquake, startled the peoI
pie here. The cOlored people were frantic-
One colOred family named West ran from
the house screaming in terror. They
were told that it was an earthquake from
Charleston, when the bead OF the family
cried out, "Wiggins." The shock is sup<
posed 20 have been caused by heavy ex4
plosion Of dynamite somewhere. /
The shocks felt here and in Connecticut
were due 10 this explosion.
FELT IN CoNNECTICUTT.
NEW HAVEN, CONN, Sept. 30-At
1910 O'Clock this morning the telegraph
operators at Branf0rd and Bridgeport re{
ported that slight shocks rad just been
felt at those places. At the Wheeler ID
Wilson sewing machine works in BridgeI
port the shock was distinctly felt, the
windows OF the shops beng severely rat