Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-03-08
ELEVEN GIRLS KILLED.
Terrific Explosion in n Pennsylvania
Miners Squib Factory

A frightful explosion occurred at about
1880 in the afternoon in the sluib factory OF
John P Powell at Plymouth, Penn Eleven
girls varying in age from thirteen TO twenty
two, were killed.
The factory employed eighty three girls,
but. work being somewhat slack, all were
idle except about fifteen OF these eleven
were IN the factory eating their dinners
at the time of the explosion. Foreman Reese
was standing at the stove when all at
and was almost blinded with smoke and
fire. He made rush for the
door leading TO the room where
the girls worked, but before he
could reach it second explosion
building to pieces and knocked him own
trap door into the cellar beneath A third
explosion followed within few seconds
OF the other two, ana when the
smoke cleared away nothing re-
mained but a heap OF blazing ruins, under
which were buried every soul in the building
at the time with the exception OF Foreman
Reese, who craw!ei from under the tlmbSrs
and was taken home fatally burned.
The building was a two story frame
structure. and owing TO the combustlbls
nature OF the contents, buried 50 fiercely
that escape was impossible
The building was used for the manufacture
of miners sluihs, which are small paper or
straw tubes about SIX inches long, filled
with powder, and used by the miners
to fire off blasts in the mines. The business
Is extremely dangerous, and nScsssI-
tateS the utmost Vigl ance to guard against
explosion. Ordinarily but small sup
ply OF powder is kept in the factory proper,
the greater portion OF tie supply being kept
In magazine some distance away. Thm
terrific force of the explosion, however,
seems to indicate that an unusually large
amount Of powder must have been stored IN
the building.
The explosion was caused by a pan Of
powder becoming Ignitei from an over
heated stove, ana which, the instant it flashed
up, enveopei the whole interior of the room
in which the operatives were at work,
and in twinkling the whole
establishment was torn into fragments the
unfortunate women bel hurled INTO the air
in a mass of flame that singed and charrOd
their bodies most terribly, and then dropped
them lifeless about the burning build ng.
Every one in the building at the time OF
the explosion persisted with the exception Of
Foreman Reese
When at length the bodies Of the dead were
taken out they presented a frigntful spec
tacle. Not one of the eleven Charred and
blackened bodies could be recognized, with
the exception of that of Esther Powell, whose
friends identified a pOcketbook found in her
dress.
AS one after another of the bodies was
disengaged from the smoking ruins and
carried out the scene was heartrending
in the extreme. DeSpeiring mothers threw
themselves upon the blackened bodies
of what they supposed were their
daughters, and with tears of anguish
streaming down their cheeks trembliRgly
sought mere and there about the body for
some mark that might lead to Identification
Strong men turned away to hide their tears,
while little sisters and brothers rent the
air with cries for their lost ones.
When all the bodies had been recovered
they were taken to Williams's undertaking
establishment, where they were laid in a row
side by side. The whole afternoon crowds OF
anguish-StrIckenr relatives bent over the dis
figured remains in search Of their loved
ones