The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-01
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION,
BY WHICH FOUR MEN ARE BLOWN
TO ATOMS
And Great Damage Is DOne-NarrOw
Escape OF Hotel CHESTS
Fires.

Barrow, ON THE SOUND, N. Y, Sep.
TENDER 30.-A terrific explosion oc'
CURED at the Ditnar Powder WsIke,
Bay Chester, on the Harlem River
branch Ct the New York and New
Haven railroad, about 10 o'clock this
morning, resulting in the instanta-
neous death OF four men employed in
the factory The explosion occurred
in the packing house, one story
frame building 20 by 30 feet in the
center Of the grounds, and about 200
yards from the main factory, a large
building near the water where the
bulk oil the giaut powder and nitro.
glycerine used in the new squeduct
work is being manufactured. The men
were hard at work putting up and
packing cart, idses when suddenly and
without warning the explosion oc-
cared, shatteriIg the building to
splinters and b wing the four men to
fragments. The exploding powder, OF
which there was large quantity, shot
up in the ar as high as fifty feet,
and splinters OF the building were
blown over a mile distant. The names
Of the men killed are as follows:
Ernest Dralen.
John Rusch.
Mrx SaAlb jlt.
Mr.. Reinhart.
Nothiog was LIFT OF them except the
fragments Of their bodies. Their
hands, legs, feet, arms and pieces Of
their scul q, backbones and chsrfed
bits OF flesh were scattered in every
dirtcIion from 500 TO 600 feet from
the packing houte.
Max Cruper, foreman OF the works,
says the explosion was caused by two
men shooting into the building. He
was in the J acking house at the time,
and, going out, fund two men who
said they wtre Ehoating squirrels. He
saws he threatened them with arrest
AID they then became impudent. As
the explosion occurred the men were
seen hurrying away.
r. III Stsnsfisd, superintendent CT
the Thorts Powder Company, near
by, picked up box full Of fragments
OF dead men, and others assisted in thu
work, and the remains were all put II
a 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 t.
shreds. The mandatory OF the Dit.
mar works was nearly wrecked
one end being blown TO piecee, ex
posing the in o ior After the ex
plosion the lower timbsrs OF the build
ing took fire and burned fercely. A
large tree ntar by Yves torn up by the
roots and brances OF Other trees were
blown away. The ground around fol
half mi was sire wn wi h fragment
OF the dead, splintes, packing paper
etc. The violence Of the explosion
shook houses ia BItown, across the
creek from Bay Chester. May win
dows In John Eliott's Bayview Hote
at Pelham bridge, over mile away
were shattered. Thomas Dnwoodie'i
blacksmith shop at Westminster wa
shaken violently, and windows II
many houses in the same village wer,
broken. This Ia the second explosion
that has occurred In these works thi
year. The one last winter blew ma
to fragments. Tho remains OF tn
men killed today could not possibly b.
identified. pse
Many persons living miles away
drove hurriedly to the scene and som,
OF them helped to gather together thu
fragments OF the dead men. The win
dows, sashes and doors in the rsilIoaI
station at Bay Chester, not far from
the powder works, were blown 10 frag
ments, and the windows In the othe
houses we're damaged, but no one on.
side the factory was hurt.