The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-10-16
A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
DESTRUCTION OF THE DUPONT
MILLS IN DELAWARE.


ings Destroyed--A Dozen or More Work.
men Killed and Many Injured.
WILMINGTON, DEL, October 1.-THE
Office and six mills of the Dupont Pow
der Works, near here are in ruins
Fifty or more houses of workmen at
the upper yard" are wrecked. A dozen
perhaps more, workmen are dead, and
a score or more others are injured, us IL
result of series Of powder explosion $
at $3.50 this afternoon.
The Dupont works which are we'll
known throughout the country, are tn e
largest powder mills in the United
States. The mills extended along the
banks of the Brandywine, chiefly on the
west side, for about two miles. They
are divided into "upper," "Hagley"
and "lower" yards. The first named,
where the Office of the company is To-
Gated, is about three miles, and the last
named about five miles from Whining
ton.
A workman named Grau, in one of
the packing mills connected with the
upper yards, was receiving can of
heXagonal powder to be shipped for the
use Of the United States Government.
when in some way spark communi-
catcd to the can and it blew up. Instant
ly the packing mill exploded, and the
other mills in the UPPER yards, seven
or eight in number, followed at inter-
vaiS~ of less than one second from the
concussion. All these, except one, were
rolling mills in Which the ingredients
OfgunpOwder arc pulveriZed Dy the ac-
tion of vertical rollers of stone turning
slowly around central post. The
whole machinery Is driven by water
power. The odd one was a mixing
mill.
The shock was simply terrific, and
was telt even in Philadelphia, thirty
live miles away, and in New jersey and
elsewhere.
AT the upper yards" where the ex-
plosion occurred, are some fifty houses
inhabited by employees of the powder
mills, and they are all wrecked The
office of the Dupont Company is com
pletr wreck, aud six mills are in ruins.
All buildings within radius of half a
mile are damaged, and the conclusion
even broke windows in some parts of
Wilmington, four or five miles away.
Immediately after the explosions the
large building known as the refinery"
located near the centre Of tho village,
took fire.
1t was matter of life and death to
the Whole population that this fire
should be extinguished before it COM
municated with the powder the bnild-
ing contained. Taking their lives in
their hands the Dupont fire brigade
fought the llames, which had caught
the roof. 1t was touch and go between
success and destruction, but the fire.
men won. Had the roof fallen in it is
doubtful IT any man, woman or child
in the vicinity would have escaped
death or serious injury.
About fifty families are rendered
homeless 10y the disaster, and many Of
them were SO daZed by the terrible
events Of those few seconds as to seem
hardly conscious Of where they are or
what they are doing. The injured are
being gathered into the hospital build
ing appertaining to the works, and are
receiving such surgical and other aid
as they need. Owing to the rocky and
wooded character Of the locality. but
little can be done in the way of search
ing for the missing, or ascertaining the
extent OF damage done to property un-
til daylight.
The following is a partial list of the
killed Martin DOlan, James Dolan,
VIM. McGaNey, John Hartigan, VIM.
Dennison, John Dietz, John Hurlike,
Patrick Dougherty, Wm Green, John
NeWall, and Il woman named Rose
: Dougherty. several others are MISSING,
The more seriously injured, so far as
learned, are: Daniel IIarkins, VIM.
Logan, (Will probably died,) Annie and
Marie Doan, daughters of James Do
Ian, who is among the killed; James
Ward, leg broken and hutt internally;
Hugh Ferry, picked up un conscious,
injuries unknown; John Mcdowell,
head badly hurt; Mrs. VIM. Mcdowell,
ear cut OFF and head very badly cut;
ner Lwo,year-old daughter seriously in
Jured; Lydia Anderson, arm broken
and badly bruised.
among the slightly ininred are Eu-
gene Dupont, the head OF the firm
Hrancis q. Dupont and Chas. J. Dupont
They and several clerks in tie 6f,icn
were cut by fragments Of broken glass
but none seriously. The dead were ali
employees OF the company and were in
and about the mills that exploded
Several workmen are missing and ara
believed to have been blown to frap.
ments., S'.-y' -
The wounded received their Injuries
among the walls Of their falling houses
and by broken glass and flying debris.
Had there not been general exodus
from their houses at the first shock,
the death list would have been much
heavier. as many would have been
crushed In the ruins of their dwellings.
Undertakers have gone out from
Wilmington to give their services in
preparing the dead for burial, while
wilmington surgeons were prompt to
hurrytto the spot and render aid.
testerday's Powder Explosion.
WILMINGTON, Del, October 8.-Ele-
ven persons were killed and twenty in
lured III yesterday afternoons eXplo-
sions at the Dupont powder mills, The
men who were killed were all WORKING
in and about the magazines and mills
and except in the case Of three weTe
bloWnste pieces. SO that only. fragments
of their remains ,haye been found.
The body of Patrick Dougherty was
found this morning in the water of the
race alOpo tho crpntx ahnra xub ara ~ l. - \