St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-08

Rockland is village on the Brandy
wine creek about mile above the scene
of the explosion. 1t comprised large
paper mill owned by the Jessup &
Moore company, and about fifty dwell
ings in which chiefly resided the
mill employees. Its population is
about 200. Immediately after the
explosion a large building known
as the refinery, located near the center
of the village, took fire. 1t was mat
ter of life and death to the whole pOpu-
lation that this fire should be extii.-
guished before it communicated with
the powder the building contained.
Taking their lives. in their hands. the
Dupont fire brigade fought the
flames, which had caught the roof.
cess and destruction, but the fire.
men won. Had the roof fallen in it is
doubtful if any man. woman or child in
the vicinity would have escaped death
or serious injury. About fifty families
are rendered homeless by the disaster,
and many were so daZed by the terrible
events Of these few seconds as to seem
hardly conscious of where they
were or what they were doing. The
injured are being gathered in
to the hospital building appertain-
ing to the wrecks and they are receiving
such aid as they need. The Dupont
by Elenthere Irene Dupont DE Noum-
ers, distinguished Frenchman who
came to this country in 1859 to escape
persecution. Thomas Jefferson was
anxious to have the works built
in Virginia, but the French
man finally selected the scene
of to-day's explosion. De Noumers
continued to conduct the works until
his death in 1884, when his sons. Alfred
Victor and Gen. Henry Dupont, sue
ceeded him. The works furnished the
sole supply of powder for the American
! army in the war of 1872, having then a
capacity of 1900 pounds day. At the
present time the capacity is over $4,000
pounds day. In addition to the
Three Sets of Mills.
which are run night and day, on the
Brandywine, nine smaller mills have
| been started in Pennsylvania and New
Jersey within the last forty years. The
| gunpowder produced at the Brandy
wine mills has been an important factor
in every American war sincet the revolu-
| ton, and also in several European con-
flicts. The Dupont Powder company
owns about 1900 acres OF land
uUout lIS WOlho, anu tiiO Oo1oIO
of the late Gen. Henry Dupont
comprises as much more. In 1854 three
wagOnloads of powder belonging to the
| DupoDts, which was being conveyed
through the streets of Wilmington, ex-
| ploded, blowing the drivers and horses
| to atoms and killing several passers-by.
On Aug. 81, 1857. an explosion occurred
at the Brandywine works. by which
several workmen were killed. Alexis
Dupont, member of the firm,
mounted the roof of building filled
with powder and was sweeping the
burning brands from it when the
powder within became ignited aud
Alexis was blown up with the building,
not trace of his body being found.
The manufacture of smokless powder
had but recently been begun at the
Brandywine works. Later reports show
| that in addition to the list of killed al
ready sent in. William DeDnison and
John Diet lost their lives, making
twelve known to have been killed.
| Among the slightly injured are Eugene
Dupont, Francis q. Dupont and Charles
| l. Dupont.