The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-10-01
BLOWN TO FRAGMENTS.
POWDER MII1 HXp1opEs,
Literally blowing Four SIen to Pieces aud
Scattering Their Remains In All DIrsC- q
tlOns, Wreeklng tho buildings and
shattering Windows Miles on,

BARTON, N, Y, Sept So.-A terrific ex.
plosion occurred at the Dltmar Powder
works, Bay Chester, on the Harlem branch
OF the New York and New Haven railroad,
about 10 o'clock this morning, resulting
in tho instantaneous death OF four men
employed in the factory. The explosion
occurred in the packing houss, oue.sIoTy
frame building 9OxSO feet, in the center Of
the grounds and about 200 yards from the
main factory, a large building near the
water, where tho bulk OF the giant pow
der and litro.glyCerine used in the new
aqusduCt work is manufactured. The
men were hard at work putting up and
packing cartridges when suddenly aud
without warning the explosion occurred,
shAttering the building to splinters and
blowing the four men to fragments.
The exploding powder, OF which there
was q large quantity, shot up into the air
as high a. nifty feet, and splinters Of the
building were blown over mile distant.
TUE KILLED.
The names OF the men killed are as
follows;
EARNEST DRALER.
JouN RvsCH.
MAX SHAPuoLT.
Mr., REINHARr.
Nothing was left OF them exCept frag-
ments OF their bodies. Their hands, legs,
feet, arms, pieces Of skull, backbones and
charred bits Of llesh were scattered In ey.
cry direction from five hundred to six
hundred feet from the packing house.
Max Crugore foreman at the works says
the explosion was caused by two men
shooting into the building. He was in the
packing house at the time, and on going
out found two men who said they we're
shooting squirrels. He says he threate ened
them with arrest and they then became
impudent AS the explosion occurred
the men were seen hurrying
away. H. II. stoutsheld, Superin.
tendont OF tho Thortin Pow
der Company nearby, picked up box
full OF the fragments OF the dead men and
others assisted IN the work and the re.
mains were all put in q heap to await the
coIoners arrival. One OF the dead men
leaves family in Germany. The others
were single men. Their clothing was
burned to Rhreds.
The main factory OF the Dltmar works
was entirely wrecked one end being
blown to pieces, exposing the interior.
Alter the explosion the lower timbers
Of the building took fire and burned
ierCely.
EFFkCTs OF THE EXPLOSION.
A large treo near by was torn up by the
roots and branches Of other trees were
blown away. The ground around for a
half mile was strewn with fragments Of
the dead, splinters, packing paper, etc.
The violence OF tho explosion shook
houses in Barton, across the creek from
Bay Chester.
Strong windows in John Elliott's Bay
View hotel at Pelham bridge, over mile
away, were shattered.
Thomas Dinwoodie's blacksmith shop
in West Chester was shaken violently.
Windows 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 q man to frsg.
ments. The remains Of the men killed
to-day could not possibly be identified.
Many persons living miles away drove
hurEedly to the scene and some OF them
helped to gather together fragments OF tho
dead men. The window sashes and doors
In tho railroad station at Bay Chester, not
far from the powder works were blown To
fragments and the windows in the houses
were damaged but no one outside Of the
factory was hurt.