The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-02-27
HURLED INTO ETERNITY.
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION IN A FACTORY.
The Entire Building Blown to Pieces and
Nearly Twenty Girls and One Man
Perish in the Ruins-The Cause
of the Disaster a Mystery.

WnKEsBARRE, Pa, Feb ga terrible dis
aster occurred at Plymouth, few miles from
here, this afternoon, by which the souls of
nearly twenty girls and one man were hurled
into eternity.
Back of the Gaylord shaft stood the factory
of John Powell, used for the manufacture of
squibs, used by the miners in loosening coal in
the mines. The factory employed eighty-fOur
girls, ranging from twelve to twenty years in
age, and several male workmen.
While the majority of the girls were at their
homes eating dinner the people were startled
by the deafening thunders of terrific explo-
sion. They rushed terror-stricken to their
doors and windows and in the distance saw
clouds of smoke ascending from the squib
factory. Soon large crowd gathered around
it, and women began wringing their hands and
men turned away from the sight presented
when the charred body OF young girl was
seen lying in one Of the rooms, and the fact be-
came known that at least twenty persons were
n the building at the time OF the explosion,
eating their MONDAY lunch. The scene was
fraught with terror, the girls, some of them
bleeding, others gasping for few breaths of
fresh air, rushed to the windows and screamed
frantically for help.
About this time a dozen miners from the ad
joining colliery came upon the scene, and as
soon as they saw the bleeding forms ofthe girls,
called for aid and rushed toward the building
in body, but fate prevented their protiered
succOr. As soon as they stepped near the door
another terrific explosion took place and the
entire building collapsed, burying in the ruins
the forms that n moment before stood crying
for assistance. The Drawer OF the men, when
the smoke and f1VInu debris had settled rushed
among the ruins and one by one the bodies
were found and taken out charred beyond rec
ignition, bleeding and mangled.
AS mothers saw and recognized some familiar
token or piece OF dress by which they could
tell their loved ones, the scene that
represented the extreme throes OF sorrow and
destruction. The bodies, as fast as they were
taken out were removed TO an undertaking es-
Enlistment and placed in row. Their fea-
lures were so badly mutllated that they were
scarcely recognizable. The killed, SO far as
known, are:
KATE JONES, aged Is.
MAGGIE LYNCH aged n.
HETTIE JONES, aged 10.
GLADDIS REESE, aged 10.
MARY WALTEBS, aged IL.
MAGGIE RICHARDS, aged II.
MARY A. LAKE aged Il.
RUTH POWELL aged 10.
ESTHER POWELL, aged %.
JESSIE CONNELI4 aged Is.
JANE IfOMAS.
CHARLOTTE HUMPHREYS, aged seven
teen.
At the main entrance to the factory the re-
mains of five OF the girls were found. They
must have evidently made an effort to get out
after the first explosion, but were caught in the
debris before they could reach the door.
Not one OF the ladies was recogniza-
bic. Some had their heads blown oil;
others their arms, and majority
were minus both legs and arms. The arrival of
the relatives of the dead added confusion to
the scene. Their cries were heart-rending and
pitiable and what made il more pathetic was
the fact that mothers aud sisters were unable
to recognize their own dead. After working
for hours the rescuers succeeded in getting out
all the remains, which consisted of trunks,
arms. legs and skulls.
Every one IN the building at the time of the
explosion persisted, with the exception of Fore
man Reese. He was standing at stove when
the first explosion took place. He rushed for
the door to notify the girls when the second
explosion knocked him down in the basement.
He managed TO crawl out of this place.
The cause of the explosion is a mystery.
Powell says the squibs piled in box must have
exploded from spontaneous combustion. lie
SAWS be never allowed any large quantities of
powder in the building. When powder
was wanted it was taken from the maya
zine 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 a stove ''just
to see it shoot off,
John Powell, the proprietor, was badly in
jured.
Business in the town of Plymouth is at
standstill and deathlike pail hangs over the
community