The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-08


packing mills.
Undertakers have gone out from Will
mlngton TO give their services in prep airing
the dead for burial, while Wilmington sur
geons were prompt to hurry to the spot
aud tender aid.
LOSS OF MILL PROPERTY.
WILMINGTON, DEL, Oct. z, IL p. NAT
the Office Of the Dupont company one of
tue members of the firm stated that the loss
In mill property was as follows: The dry
house, one magazine, packing house, separat-
ing house and corning mill The structures
partially destroyed are the glazing room
and the press room. No exact figures In
In regard TO quantity of powder
lost can be given, but esti-
mates run all the way from ten to forty
tons. The Duponts were busily engaged at
the time in fulfilling extensive contracts for
the United States government for small
arms. and also on prismatic cannon powder.
In addition they have heavy contracts ON
hand for the Union Metallic Cartridge
Company.
ONLY THREE BODIES RECOVERED.
Mrs. Rose Dougherty was found dead in
her attic. The body of VIM. McGarvey
was found with his head completely blown
of, and the body of Green was found lying
near the magazine, where he had been
engaged soldering a powder keg. At 8
O'Clock this evening the other bodies had
not been seen or heard of.
The proprietors are exceedingly reticent
with regard to the cause of the explosion
and any matters connected with it. 1t is
estimated that the total loss cannot be
less than 100000.
SCENE OF THE DESTRUCTION.
At the company's office the first evidence
of the disaster was disclosed. The building
was badly wrecked. The windows were
blown out and plaster and stones strewed
the ground. AS the mills were approached
a scene of extreme disaster opened to view.
To the left of the entrance the large char.
coal mill was a mass of blackened
ruins. To the right is short
street with thirty houses distributed
on either side, so that they are entirely un-
lnhabitable. Women and children are
wandering around moaning and wringing
their hands. From the upper banks hill a
comprehensive view of the scene of the dis
aster is obtainable.
BLOWN COMPLETELY AWAY.
Below, 100 yards off, the powder maya
zine, a large stone structure with sur
roundings, is completely blown away,
not a vestige left, but great,
gaping hole indicates where the magazine
once stood All around are wrecked store
houses, barns and buildings smashed in and
surface of the earth for several acres is
dragged and swept as If with a gigantic
harrow.
The thick growth of trees which ap-
proaches the mills on three sides are mown
down almost like grass, and trunks and
branches are broken up into blackened
splinters. The timber has the exact ap-
pearance of having suffered from a tor
nado.
RESIDENCES COMPLETELY WRECKED.
Farther off residences, within half q
| mile of the mills are wrecked, outhouses
| and yards are utterly demolished. The res
| idenoes of Henry Dupont, Francis Dupont
and G.. Dupont are badly shattered. Mrs.
| Henry Dupont, an elderly lady. widow of
| Gen. FL Dupont aud sister-n-law of Ad-
miral Dupont, was AIKEN for refuge TO th c
house Of her daughter, Mrs. A. L. Foster. al
| Mont Chanen, about two miles from the
| mill
| SOME OF THE LESS SERIOUS INJURIES.
Among the minor accidents discovered
were, Winfield Waters, eye torn out; Andrew
Godfrey, lacerated arm and hip; Hugh
Ferry, ribs crushed; DR.. Hollis, head cut
John Mcdonnell. right arm and head injured
John McCaffrey and VIM. Logue, heads
cut; Thos F. Dougherty, Injured in the
head, supposed TO be dying. A little child
| of William Mcdowell, which had been left
| in a cradle, was discovered uninjured,
but the cradle was completely demolished.
John Braten had his wagon smashed and
two horses killed, while he escaped almost
unscratched, although driving at the time.
| Joseph Schofield was found unconscious.
Gatekeeper P J. Massey was knocked down
three times before he could escape from the
| gateway. Charles Link was so badly
| frightend that he fell down in fit.
CARING FOR THE HOMELESS.
The members of the firm busted them
selves all the evening looking after the
needs of their homeless employees. Some
forty or fifty families needed aid. Lunches
| were prepared and served to those whom
| the disaster deprived of cooking facilities.
Numbers of refugees found hospitable aid
in the neighboring village of.Rockland.
At the office 1t was stated that the firm
will at once commence rebuilding. A great
deal of the more valuable stock, including
thousands of cords of the various kinds of
timber used in che manufacture of gun
powder, Is uninjured and ready for use.
The majority of buildings are one or two
story structures, experience in past pow
der explosions teaching the propriet ors the
need Of erecting low buildings.
PREVIOUS EXPLOSION EVEN WORSE.
The present has been the most serious ex.
plosion for at least half q century. The
worst explosion recorded was that which
occurred in the spring of 1919, when forty
people were killed.
When to-day's accident occurred VIM. r.
Greene, head Of the shipping department
was soldering a can of prismatic powder.
He was considered one of the most careful
men in the company's employ. and was thu
only one who did that sort of work. The
theory of the cause of the explosion is that
the soldering iron became too hot, thus ig
hitting the powder in the can.
HISTORY OF THE WORKS.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. THE Dupont
powder works were established in 1902 by
Elenthere Ireene Dupont de Nemours q
distinguished Frepchman, who came to this
country in 1899 to escape the Jacobin per
secution. Thomas Jefferson was anxiou:
thai the works should be located in Vir-
ginia, but the Frenchman finally selected
the scene Of to-day's explosion as being tht
best suited for the business. He continued tx
condnct the works until his death from