Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-09
THE PowoeR-MILLs EXPLOSION
There Were Eleven People Killed ana
Twenty Wounded.
IRr teleornnh to the plspatch.I

tRT Telegraph 10 Tue DispetChsf
WILMINGTON, DEL, October s.-Eleyen
persons were killed and twenty injured ~
res,erday afternoons explosion at the Du-
yont powder-mills. The men who were
Killed were all working in and about the
mapazines and mills and except in the case
~ three. William X. Green. William NC
Gayvev and Patrick Dougherty were
blown TO pieces so that only fragments OF
their remains have been found. The BODY
~ Patrick Dougherty was found TINS
morning in the water of the race along the
crcek shore. where II had been thrown by
the explosion. The body of Green was
found lust outside the ruins Of the maya
zine in which the frat explosion occurred.
and strange 20 say II was not mangled OF
burned. II is the theory of the workmeh
hat the explosions were started in some
wav bv the soldering of the IRON when
Green was using in soldering tin cover on
the cans of powder. This work is extreme
lv dangerous and Green was the only man
trusted TO perform 1t.
WHAT FIRED THE POWDER.
He was An old employee who thoroughly
understood his work, but II Is supposeu
his solderng-iron became too hot ana th nav
IL heat fred the powder in spite OF ms
carefulness. Green and McGarvey were the
only men in the magazine at the time;
Fairly reports Of the disaster placed Danlel
Uorkins's name in tbs list Of killed by the
EXPLOSION. but Harkins was not killed
although he was severely injured. Nheu
the explosion began he was standing on
the porch Of the press-mill, where ne i
employed. and the force OF the explosion
blew him from the porch INTO the rare;
distance of about twenty feet. Immediate,
| liz afterwards the press-mill exploded ana
| had Harkins been still standing on the
uorch he would have been blown 20
! atoms. AZ il was he was severely bruised
and shocked, but managed TO crawl out on
the race and reach his home, where ne
| now lies under the care OF physician
He will probably recover. John DieZ1'
James Grant. and Joseph Harger were also
reported killed, but all three escaped WITH
out injuries.
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
John Brader, employed by the powder
manufacturers as teamster. had lnlracu-
| Ions escape. He was driving a double team
| through the powder-yard when the expl9-
sion occurred and his wagon was demol-
| ished and the horses attached 10 III were
! killed. Brader was not hurt.
The wounded are being cared for by
neichbors and friends and the dead bodies
have been prepared for burial. William
| Grega was buried this afternoon.
Three or four hundred homeless people
are provided with comfortable quarters Dy
| their friends who live IN more favored TO-,
calities. They will be looked after uhth
| their homes can be restored.
Countv-Co Coroner Gamble Is summoning
| iurv this morning for the purpose OF view
| ING William f.. Green's remains, 80 that
| thew NAV be Inferred. II may be two or
! three DAYS before he will he ready to near
! testimony. as the witnesses are busy clear
| inc away the deJris from thelr homes anu
| do not wish to be interrupted until they
| have had an opportunity OF saving some Oh
| the less perishable articles from amid the
| wreckage of their homes.
wHEs FOUNDED.
The original powder-works werefounded
bv Eleuthere Irone Dupont de Nemours IN
| 1902 and the upper mills. where yesterdays
| evniosion occurred, were added to the
plant IN 1872. The total works as they eX-
| ist TO-DAY have capacity for turning out
| twelve million pounds of powder annually
and the firm OF Dupont de Nemours 90.
own and operate also ten additional mills
! in Luzern, Schulkill. and Northumberland
| counties, Pa.
| including the Pennsylvania mills over SIX
teen million pounds of saltpetre and NJ
| trate of soda. the chief ingredients OF
powder. The Brandywine plant NUN bers
| In its entirety some eighty different build
| ings extending along the western bank or
| the creek and for short distance on the
! eastern bank about two miles. Including
/ the site Of the mills. of the dwellings ~
4 the EMPLOYEES, churches. schools. and other
buildir IS and the adjacent farming lana
the cJmpanys tract ON the Brandywihe
amounts TO about 2 800 acres.
Upon this property, besides the build
! iugs mentioned. are three woollen-mllls; a
cotton-mil, and grist-mlll, and a popula-
tion Of about 1000 people, Of whom over
| 300 were employed in the works.
The death of the. infants OF Ihomals
Dougherty from injuries received by fail-
| ing timbers brings the powder-mlllS Ia
taiitv up 10 twelve. OF the injured ali are
reported dong well, apprehension OF u
fatal result being entertained only IN the
case of Daniel Harkins. Harkins Is over
seventy. A member of the firm sald To-
day that it was impossible as yet TO give
any figures Of the property loss.
THOUSANDS VIEW TIRE WRECK.
A Gordon of guards was posted and rigid
| orders were issued 10 exclude from the
powder-yards all but employees. thou;
sands have gone TO view the wreck and
| extra precautions were imperatiyely re-
| ouired TO avoid further danger. as con-
| siderable powder was lying about IN kegs
| canisters and even loose. one OF the
strange features Of the disaster being thal
the mill which escaped destruction had
powder contained therein blown out over
adjacent ground by conclusion without
igniting. A stone weighing 2O0 POUNDS
was blown 800 yards from one mil.