The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1890-10-17
A POWDER EXPLOSION
Ten Men Killed at Powder m''' !"
Delaware.

WILMINGTON, Del, Oct. 7.-severa
startling explosions in quick suceess,on'
some counted five, others seven ~ '''o -
m., announced to Wilmington aisa''e' Nv
tbc Dnpont powder works on the brahuS
,y;,. A rush Was made for telephones
but pothng could bc learned oeyohu '"e'S
reports of damage. .,,,
An Associated Press represehta.Ho
hastened at once to the scene anu mas w.
wired that the whole section oil the "oino
known as the .'uppcr Yard is compose
wreck and that at least Six lives ha'e o''"
lost. "a
One of tho magazines went OF first ana
the rolling and drying mills near by 10.
of by the concus sion, followed IN rap'u
succession. There were at least seven o's
tinct successive explosions. Every a"e'
ling In the neghborhood Is repor'cu
wrecked or unroofed or more or less oah''
aged.
Telcphopic inquiries from West Choster
state that the explosion were distinctly
heard in that section.
Later-A messenger has Just brought III
the following dispatch, which shows 'ha'
the worst has not yet been learned oil the
powder mill explosion; "Ten k'iieu,
twenty wounded Rockland complete
wreck. None Of It's houses left standing
Rocklaud is village on the Brandy
wine, nearly mile above the scene OF the
explosion. 1t has u large paper mill o"heu
by the Jessup Il Moore Company, aha
about fifty dwellings, In which chiehy re-
side the mill employees. Its population Is
about 200. Evidence Of destruction ~
that distance leads to the BELIEF here that
the number OF killed and wounded Is not
definitely asccrtained
The dead were all employees OF the CON-
pany, and were in and about the mills
that exploded.
Several workmen are missing ana arc
bclievedto have been blown into fragments.
The wounded received their injuries
among the walls Of their falling houses
and by broken glass and flying debris.
The first explosion occurred in one OF
the packing mills where workman named
Gran was receiving can OF hexagonai
powder to be shipped for the use OF the
United States government In some way
q spark communicated to the can ana
blew it up. Instantly the packing mill e1-
ploded and the other mills in the upper
yards, seven or eight in number, followed
at intervals OF less than one second.
All these except one were rolling
mills" in which the ingredients OF gun
powder are pulvcrlEcd by action Of rollers
of stone turning slowly around central
post. The whole machinery is driven by
water power The odd one was n mixing
mill.
Immediately after the explosion large
building, known us the refinery" located
near the center OF the village, took fire. 1t
was matter OF life and death to the
whole population that this fire should be
cxtinguished before 1t communicated with
the powder the building contained. The
Dupont fire brigade valiantly fought the
flames, which had caught the roof and
succeeded in cxtinguishing them. Had
tho roof fallen In II is doubtful II any man,
woman or child in the vicinity would have
escaped death or serious injury.
About fifty families are rendered home.
less by the disaster. 1t is estimated that
the loss cannot be less than 5000
The shock OF the explosion was plainly
felt in many sections OF Philadelphia,
Millville, New Jersey; Chester, Pcnnsyl-
vsnia, and other points thirty to thirty
i've miles distant