Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-10-11
APPALLING DISASTER.
The Dupont Powder Works Near
Wilmington, Del, Demolished.
Twelve People Known to bo KILLED. ana
Scores Wounded-A Hundred DWELL
ings Destroyed - The Loss
Estimated at Half
Million Dollars.

Million Dollars.
WILMINGTON. Del, Oct ga terrible
explosion resulting in the loss of sew
eral lives, the iniuring of many people
and the destruction of much property
occurred Tuesday in the upper yard of
the extensive powder works Of E. l. Du-
pont & Co., at Brandywine creek, three
miles north of this city. The shock was
keenly felt here and caused intense ex-
element. There were six reports re
sembling the booming Of cannon ana
about a second apart. The first thought
was that there had been an explosion at
the powder works, but the reports SEEM
ing so near and not being characterized
by the usual rumbling and there being
no smoke visible in the direction of tho
mills, it was imagined that the explo-
sion had occurred in the city. The hazy
atmosphere hid the smoke and caused
the reports to sound differently from
those of preceding explosions.
Physicians were summoned and their
hurrying toward the powder manufac-
tory was the first indication the public
had of the exact location of the catas-
trophe. Immediately thereafter throngs
OF people went to the scene of the disas-
ter The instant the explosion was
heard the represent tative of the United
Press rightly conjecturing the cause,
procured team and drove to the pow
der works. When he reached Mount
Salem Methodist Episcopal church, a
mile from the city, and saw broken
frames in the church windows he felt
sure that his surmises were correct.
More than one-half of the window
sashes of the large building were out
and of those that remained the glass was
! broken. Soon thereafter cloud of blu
ish smoke was seen and the smell of
burning powder was observed. Follow
ing curve in the road the reporter be-
held an appalling spectacle. Women
and children, wives, sons and daughters
OF men employed in the powder manu-
factory, were madly rushing here and
there, seeking information about the
safety of their loved ones. The yard in
which the mill stood was Uttered with
debris of fallen buildings and at some
! places where buildings had been, the
only traces left were empty cellars and
few foundation stones. The little viii
lage of Dupont's Banks, Immediately
outside the powder yard, presented a
most pitiable appearance. A hundred
| dwellings were either demolished or
badly damaged. Buildings were un-
rooted and fronts of houses blown out
and wrecked. Inside the dwellings the
| devastation was complete. The rooms
on the ground floor were strewn with
broken crockery, crushed stoves and
remnants of tables, etc.
The soda mill, large stone building
about 200 yards from the magazines is
wrecked. The roof of the charcoal mills
fell and the buildings themselves took
fire from the furnaces. Effective use of
the fire apparatus at the works soon eX-
tinguished the fires. Where the corn
ing and packing house stood there are
holes in the ground ten feet deep. The
large storage magazine containing sew
eral tons of powder and built of CORFU
gated iron is situated about quarter OF
q mile from the wrecked mills. 1t with
smaller mill escaped, also the glazing
room and press room. Four of the Du-
points and several clerks were in the
oillSc NhSh uu' GA pAooAoh 0ooh pidSo
| Every window was blown in and much
of the plastering fell from the walls,
but beyond scratches, cuts and bruises
no one was hurt. Two horses being
driven through the yard were killed
while their driver escaped. William
Green was working in the magazine that
blew up first. He was packing powder
1t is supposed that his soldering iror
became too hot and ignited the powder
Ten men were killed; the bodies oi
but two have been found. While day
light lasted portions of the other bodies
were being collected, limb here, ar
arm there, piece of the trunk in an
other place. The list Of dead so far re-
ported is as follows:
William Green, solderer, aged forty
leaves a widow and four children. His
body was found whole, but so badly
blackcned as to be barely recognizable
William McGarvey, laborer. single
head blown off. Martin Dolan, aget
sixty-fve, employed in the grainin&
mill, leaves family. Jim Dolant la
borer, aged sixty single. John III. Har
rigan, laborer, married. Michael Harri
gan, laborer Patrick Dougherty, age'
thirty, single. John Newell, laborer
aged fifty, leaves family. John Her
lihe, laborer. Mike Herlihe, laborer
Mrs. Rosa Dougherty, aged forty, foun'
crushed under the roof of her house.
All those whose names are givei
above were employed in and about th
mills that exploded and with the ex
ception of Green and McGarvey, thei
bodies have not been found.
In the excitement and confusion
was impossible to obtain complete lis
of the wounded. Scores were cut b.
flying glass and bruised by falling beam
and timbers 1t is estimated that be
> tween seven and ten tons of powder eS
ploded; some reports say two or thre
, times that much. The total loss will b
from 5000, 900 to 100000. The compan
is rich and will begin to rebuild at once
Later reports show that in addition t
the list of killed already sent, Williar