Omaha daily bee., 1889-02-26
DEATH IN FRlCHTFUL FORM
Eleven Persons Killed BY Pow
der Explosion.
cAARREp BEYOND RECOGNITION.
Another Sccnc OF Terror In n Penn,
sylvania Mining Town--List
of the Dead aud
Wounded.
A Terrible Accident.

WILKEsBARRE, Pa, Feb. ga terrible
disaster occurred at Plymouth, a few miles
from here, thls afternoon, by which the
souls OF eleven girls were hurled into etcr
nlty.
Back Of the Gaylord shaft stood the fac
tory of John Powell, used for the manufacture
of the squibs used by miners iii loosening
coal in the mines. The factory cmploSed
eighty. four girls, ranging from twelve to
twenty years, and several male workmen.
While majority of the girls were at their
homes eating dinner, the people were
startled by the denfening thunder of
IA terrific explosion. They rushed terror
stricken to their doors and windows, and in
the distance saw the clouds of smoke ascend
ing from the squlb factory. Soon large
crowd had gathered around it and women
began wrnging their hands and men turned
away from the sight presented when the
charred body of young g!rI was seen lying
in one of the rooms and the fact became
known that at least twenty persons were IN
the building at the time OF the explosion,
eating their unpnday lunch. The scene was
fraught with terror as the girls. some of
them bleeding, others gasping for a few
breaths of fresh air, rushed to the wind Jws
ana screamed franticaly for help.
About this time n dozen miners from nn
adjoining coliery came upon the scene and
as soon as they saw the bleeding forms of
the girls calling for aid rushed towards
the building IN body, but
fate prevented their profrered sac
cor. As soon as they stopped
near the door another terrific explosion took
place and the entire building collapsed, bury
ing IN the ruins those that moment lef0re
stood crying for assistance. The braver of
the men, when the smoke and flying debris
had settled, rushed among the ruins, and
one by one the bodies were found and taken
out, charrcd beyond recognition, bleeding
and mangled. As the mothers and recog-
nized some familiar token or piece of dress
by which they could tell their loved ones, the
scene was one that represented the extreme
thrOcs of sorrow and distraction.
The bodies, as fast as they were taken out,
were removed to an undertaking establish
ment, where they were placed in row.
Their features were SC badly mutilated that
they We're scarcely recognizable. The killed,
so far as known are
KATE .IoNES, aged eighteen,
MAGGIE LYSCn, aged twenty-on9.
HETrE JONES. aged sixteen.
GLADDIs REESE, aged fifteen.
MARY WALTERS, aged seventeen.
MAGGIE Rio CHARDS, aged seventeen.
MARY A. LAKE aged seventeen.
RUTH POWELL, aged nineteen.
ESTHER POWELL, aged twenty-five.
JANE ANN THOMAS, aged sixteen.
CHARLOTTE HUMPHREY, aged seventeen.
John Powell, the proprietor was badly in.
jured.
Business in the town of Plymouth is at a
standstill Several kegs of powder caused
the explosion, but how they were exploded
is as yet mystery.
The Philadelphia Records special says;
At the main entrance to the factory the re-
mains of five girls were found. They must
evidently have made an effort to get out after
the first explosion but wer6 caught IN the
debris before they could reach the door. Not
one was recognizable. Some had their heads
blown off, others their arms, and majority
were minus both legs and arms. The ar
rival of relations of the dead added conf lsion
to the scene. Their cries were heartrelding
and pitiable, and what made it more pathetic
was the fact that mothers and sisters were
unable TO recognize their own dead.
After working for hours the rescuers sue
cecded in getting out all the remains, which
consisted of trunks, arms, legs, and skulls.
Every one in the building ut the time of the
explosion persisted, with the exception of
Foreman Reese He was standing at the
stove when the first explosion TOOK
place. He rushed for the door to no.
explosion knocked him down in
the basement. He managed to crawl out
of this place. The cause of the cXplos on is
a mystery. Reese says that squibs piled in a
combustion. He says he never allowed any
large quantity of powder in the building.
When powder was wanted it was
taken from the magazine, 100 yards
away Experts, however, claim that there
must have been powder in the building or
the force Of the explosion would not have
been so great. There were three stoves in
the building.
1t is stated that on several occasions the
girls, in order to have little fun, would
place powder on e stove, ''just to see it
shoot Off"
Another theory advanced for the explosion
is that pot of sulphur on The stove, which
was used TO dip the squib5 into. must have
boiled over and ignited some loose powder,
which fired the kegs.
The scenes around the undertaker's es-
tabhshmcnt, where the bodies of tine victims
we're taken, was heartrending. Eleven
bodies lay there hcadless, arnless and leg
less. From pieces of scorched clothing and
small buttons the victims were identified.
The bodies lay on the floor, covered with
coarse burlaps, and were marked as
soon as identified. The crowd outside
numbered hundSeGs, and was augmented as
each ambulance br9Ight an additional body.
Up to ii week ago eighty girls had been en-
played, but an accident TO a portion Of the
machinery made it necessary 70 lay of all
but few Of them. Eye witnesses say Il ere
were five reports, two hcayy and three ght.
The heavy ones We're powder kegs and the
light ones boxes of squibs.
AT midnight Foreman Reese IS raviEg in
deDWium. The bodies viii bcremoved 10 the
homes of the victims tomorrow, and the
funerals viii be held Wednesday afternoon.
TWO Children CrcJirted.