The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-10-10
AWFUL EXPLOSION.
The Dupont Powder Works at
Wilmington. Del, Gone.
TERRIBLE LOSS OF LIFE REPORTED.
Two villages Blown to Atoms-rhe Powder
Houses Follow One After Another-Sey-
eraI Victims Supposed To Be Ami
hIIated-Loss, $780, 900.

WmMISeroN, Del, Oct S-Several
startling explosions in quick succession
some counted five, others seven-at
$3.50 o'clock yesterday afternoon an
nounced to Wilmington a disaster at
the Dupont powder works on the
Brandywine. A rush was made for tel
ephones. but nothing could be learned
beyond vague reports of damage.
As soon as horsemen from here could
reach the works it was found that the
whole section of the works known as
upper yard" was a complete wreck.
and at least twelve persons were killed
and twenty wounded, while Rockland
was a complete wreck, none of its
houses being left standing.
Rockland is village on the Brandy
wine fully a mile above the scene of the
explosion. 1t has large paper mill
owned by the Jessup & Moore Company,
about fifty dwellings, in which chiefly
ton is about 200.
There were several reports resem bling
the booming of cannon and about a Sec
ond apart The first thought was that
there had been an explosion at the pow
der works, but the reports seeming SO
near and not being charac terized by the
usual rumhling and there being no
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
Physic ans summoned by telephone
and hurrying toward the powder manu-
factory was the first indicat ton the pub
lie had of the exact location of the
catastrophe Immediately thereafter
thousands of people went to the scene
of the disaster
The Office of the Dupont Company is
a complete wreck and six mills are in
ruins Several mem bers of the Dupont
firm were injured by falling walls and
broken glass, but none of them serious
ly. Among the slightly injured are:
Eugene Dupont the head of the firm;
Francis G. Dupont and Charles L -Du-
pont They and several clerks in the
Office were cut by fragments of broken
glass but none of them seriously.
The dead were all employees of the
company and were in and about the
mills that exploded.
Several workmen are missing and are
believed to have been blown into frag
ments. The wounded received their in
juries among the walls of their falling
houses and by broken glass and flying
debris
The first explosion occurred in ono of
the packing mills, where a workman
named Grau was soldering a can of
hexagonal powder to be shipped for the
use of the United States Government
In some way a spark communicated to
the can and blew it up. Instantly the
packing mill exploded, 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 in
gradients of gunpowder are pulverized
by the action OF vertical rollers of stone
turning slowly around q central post.
The whole machinery is driven by water
power.
Immediately after the explosion a
large building known as 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 cxtincuished before t
com nun catel Win the powi r the
building contained. The Dupont fro
brigade vaiiantly fou ,ht the flames.
which had ciught the roof an succeed-
ed in distinguishing them. 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 home
less by the disaster.
AT Mount Salem Methodist Church
more than one-half of the window sash es
of the large building were blown out
and of those that remained the glass
was broken.
At tho scene of the disaster women
and children, wives and sons and daugh-
ters of men employed in the powder
mandatory, were madly rushing here
and there seeking information about the
safety of their loved ones. The yard in
which the mills stood was Uttered with
debris OF fallen buildings and at some
places where buildings had been the
only trace left was empty cellars and a
few foundation stones.
The little village of Dupont's Banks,
Immediately outside the powder yard,
presented a most pitiable appearance.
a hundred dwellings were either de-
molished or badly damaged buildings
were unroofed and fronts of houses
were blown out and wrecked Inside
the dwellings the devastation was COM
plete- The rooms on the ground floor
were strewn with broken crockery,
crushed stoves and remnants OF tables,
etc
1t is estimated that the loss can not
| be less than $500, 200.
Fifty families are rendered homeless
by the disaster and many were SO dazed
by the terrible events OF those few sec
onds as to seem hardly conscious of
where they were or what they were
doing. The injured are being gathered
to the works and are receiving such aid
as they need.
Thieves busy.
WICHITA, Kan, Oct T.-During the
progress of the ball closing the obsery-