The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-02-17
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
LOSS OF LIFE AT DUPONT POWDER
MILLS.
THE SHOCK PLAINLY FELT HERE.

The packinghouse of the Dupont
Powder Mills, at Wapwallopen, about
fifteen miles up the river, blew up with
about sixteen tons of blasting powder
last Friday morning. Four men were
instantly killed and about twenty we're
more or less injured. The four victims
are John II. Rosman, widower, aged
3S years, FIVE children, residing near
the mill Peter Kishbaugh, aged 81,
married, with six children, residing at
Nescopeok o. f. Teets, 10 years old,
residing near the mills, and George
Stout, 81. single, living near the mills.
Among those most seriously injured
are Silas +. Peter, married, with four
children he will probably die. Frank
Corkins, badly cut and ribs broken /;
he may die. Z. w. Totten, head cut
and shoulder fractured may die Her
bet Rosman, Jacob Maury, AdlIne
S zer, Emery Miller, f. X. Scbobert,
John Ebert, w. N. Fenstermacher
John Rosman, Ezekiel Young, Peter
Sellener and Frank Defrane. The in
juries consist entirely of cuts, wounds
and bruises, received from falling tim.
bers and in the wreck Of the buldin"s,
and except the first three all are ex-
pected to recover.
THE DUPONT MILLS.
The DuPont Mills are situated in a
small valley running up into the mount
ains, which closely border the Snsque-
hanna River al Wapwsllopen, about
five miles below Shickshinny. Through
the valley runs the Waowallopen
Greek. The buildings connected with
the mills are strung out along the
creek for distance of over two mil s
and employ, all told, about 1855 men.
The packing house, where the explosi, n
occurred, was the farthest one up the
stream. 1t stood close against the side
of the hill and before it stretched a
level expanse for perhaps 4O0 yards be-
fore the steep ascent OF the Opposite
side of the valley rose. b ,th hlllsides
were thickly covered with young fr
and pine trees and many stood on the
level space.
AT o'clock that morning eight men
went to work in the packing-house.
Four were in the building and four
we're at work loading the filed keg-
on the railroad cars. At $50 A. M
they had loaded 1900 kegs, and started
down with them towards the lowe
end of the valley. They had not gone
mile when the explosion to,k place.
Its violence was beyond all de cr'ption.
| At the time, it Is estimated, there
we're some hing over sixteen tons Of
finished powder in the building. OF
the building itself not vestige re-
mained, its site being marked by a
deep hole in the ground. The mstsrial
of which it was composed, chiefly lum.
Der, was literally blown into email
splinters and thickly strewn over the
surroundings. Of the trees that stood
ON the level space not one was lef,
standing, and up the hillside agaips,
which the building stood, track was
swept out like that of cyclone.
FOUR MEN BLOWN INTO FRAGMENTS.
Of the four men there was gathered
up over an area of half square mil
two small boxfuls of remnants, most
of them only pound or two in weight.
The largest piece, which was recog
nized as the collar bone and upper ribs
of Kishbaugh, was found in a field on
the other side of the hill, facing tn
building, a distance Of thres-quarter'
of mile. The hand and lower part
of the arm of Rosman was found on
the top branches of tree on the sum.
init of the hill These were the onl,
pieces that could be identified. The
remains as gathered up we're taken t.
The office of the company, where they
were gazed ON by a horri6ed, but
curious, throng.
| About 400 yards from the packing.
house stood two substantial brlcl
structures, the can factory and tn
charcoal mill. Both were utterly
wrecked and reduc-d to piles of ruins
In the can factory ten men were a
work and in the charcoal mill two
All these men were more or less injur
ed. The three who are fatally hurt
were in the can factory. On the tol
of the hill close above the packing
house stood the stables of the company
number of the houses of the employ
ees and new Methodist church, il
which the R-v Mr.. Larish, of Berwicl
ofiiciated each Sunday. The churcl
was completely wrecked. The stable
were utterly wrecked, and every on
If the houses entirely ruined. Wall,
were split, doors and door frames ant
window sashes all blown in, and ever,
bit of plaster in every room shaker
down. All furniture was broken, an
in nearly every house some of the in
ma es were more or less hurt by fall
) ing debris. Among the houses tba
, suffered most severely are those G
William Saun, Frank Craver, w llian
Everhart. Abram Kinney, Russ,
, Freize, Hiram Meyer, William Ast
worth and Nathan Ketcham. The two
year-old infant OF Abram Kinney sui
tanned some terrible cuts on the fac
, and head.
: TIE HAVOC AMONG THE HOUSES.
5 A little further down the valley WI
another group of houses every one {
which was badly injured, every viii
dow and door being blown in, ohimne!
blown down, and the walls spli
Among those thus injured were Il
S houses of Richard Ashworth, w.
Fenstermacher, w. w. Schober., Fra
Defrane, Reuben Davis and the sto
X of Albert Schobert. All down Il
II valley and into Wapwallopen Il
n houses were damaged, windows beir
= blown 10, chimneys knock, d down al
e furniture, glassware and crockery d
y stroyed.
e The shock was plainly felt in Wilkt
], barre, twenty eight miles away, ard
ID Shickshinny and Berwick, the neare
y towIs of any size. The concussi
rs was very violent and the earth shoe
'e and trembled as though in the thro
ID Of an earthquake. Over the mountai
T. in the opposite direction, houses we
Of damaged and destruction wrought
I'd furniture and cro' kerry as far as Aide
seven miles distant, and the shock "
IS violently felt in Hazleton, twenty mi
nd