Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-10-09

lowing is a corrected list OF the killed
and injured in yesterday afternoons ex-
plosion at the Dupont Powder Mills:
KILLED.
w. K. Green, Solderer, worked in the
magazine, leaves a widow and four chill
dren; body found entire.
W. McGarvey, laborer, aged 40, single;
head blown off; body found.
Martin DOlan, aged Is, employed in
one of the graining mills; leaves fam
lily.
James Dolan, aged 30, single.
j. IL. Harrigan, laborer, aged 30, mar
ried.
Michael Harrigan.
Patrick Dougherty, aged 30, married.
John Newell, aged so, employed in the
yard; leaves family.
John Terteher laborer
Michael Herteher, laborer.
Mrs. Rosie Dougherty, aged so, found
in the garret Of her house crushed by
the roof; died from her injuries shortly
after the accident
Injured Mary DOlan, hip hurt; Anna
Dolan. nervous prOStration; Andrew
Godfrey, arm and hip lacerated; Hugh
Ferry. ribbS crushed; James Ward, leg
lacerated; Winfield NeterS, right eye
torn out: James DenniSon, badly hurt;
Frank Hollis, head cut; John McDcr-
mott, right and hand hurt; William
Logue. head cut; Charles Godfrey, arm
hurt: James McClafTerty, head cut;
Joseph SchOfeld, knocked SenSeleSS;
Thomas f. DOugherty, head cut; Daniel
Harkins. supposed TO be fatally hurt;
Patrick GilliSon, badly hurt; Mrs.
Maggie Dougherty, temple cut; Mrs.
Dougherty. mother-in-law of the latter
head cut; Mrs. Lizzie f. Anderson, arm
broken and injured internally.
The men who were killed were all
working i'm and about the magazines
and mills. and except in the cases of
threw, X. Green, Mr.. VIM. Nectar
vey and Patrick Dougherty-were
blown TO pieces, So that only fragments
of the remains have been found. 1t is
the theory of the wOrkmen that the eX-
plOSiOnS were started in some way by 4
soldering iron which Green was using
in soldering tin covers on cans OF pow
dew. This work is extremely danger
Gus, and Green was the only man
trusted to perform il. He was an old
employe who thoroughly understood his
work, but il is supposed that his solder
ing iron became too hot and that its
heat fired the powder in spite of his
carefullneSS.
John Detz, James Grant, Daniel
HarkinS and Jos. HargeS were reported
/ killed, but all escaped without injury
except HarkinS. who was severely
| burned.
The wounded are being cared for by
| the neighbOrS and friends. and the dead
| bodies are prepared for burial. The 300
/ or 400 homeless people were provided
with comfortable quarters by their
/ friends living in more favored localities
/ and will be looked after until their
/ homes can be- restored.
County Coroner Gamble is Summoning
a iurv this morning for the purpose of
viewing the remains of w. r. Green.
( II NAV be two or three days before he
will be ready To hear the testimony, rs
the witnesses are busy clearing away
the debris from their homes, and do not
wish to be interrupted until they have
had the opportunity of saving some Of
the less periShable articles from amid
the wreckage Of their homes.
A story of wonderful escape from
death by the explosion at the Dupont
Powder Works, is told by William
Haley, a foreman in one of the coal
houses, about twenty yards to the east
of the scene of the disaster.
Haley Said 81 was standing in the
doorway Of the coal house, and was
suddenly stricken with terror by thun-
derouS sound. saw succession
Of bright flashes from the different
/ buildings. The coal building shook
about me. | stood among the debris
paralyzed and unable to move. How
/ I escaped being killed I don't
know. My clothing was torn and
my face and hands were scratched;
otherwise l was not hurt. When l re-
gained my senses | rushed to my home
on the hillside, about 300 miles away.
II was mass of ruins. | found my
daughtcr-in-law, Lizzie Anderson, with
her arm broken
Joseph A. Buck, Of Rockland, was an
eyewitness of the explosion. while |
was looking at some men handling kegs
Of powder" said he, IL felt the earth
slipping from under me. | beheld
sheets of flame and vast clouds OF
smoke. Reports sounding like the tir-
ing Of thousands of cannon followed
i'm quick succession. Masses OF
crushed buildings and earth were
thrown hundreds of feet in the
air. Their fall was accompanied
bv fearful crashes. From where | stood
] l.. III hot
/ the mill buildings were blown up, but it
was the big middle magazine building
that exploded first. | rushed to the
nearest tree and hid from the destruc-
| tion. The tree shook rs if in hurri-
cane. heard the sound of some heavy
material falling to the ground. | looked
/ twenty yards ahead OF me and saw a
stone. no doubt part of the foundation
of one of the mill buildings. 1t was
about two feet long and foot wide. The
distance from where | stood to the
scene Of destruction was about mile.
| was half-blinded and choked by the
smoke"
The Dupont Powder Works, which
were DESTROYED by the explosion. were
established in lSO2 by Elenther Irene
Dupont de Memoirs, a distinguished
Frenchman who came to this country
in 1899 To escape Jacobia persecution
Thomas jefferson was anxious that the
works should be located in Virginia,
but the Frenchman finally selected the
scene of yesterdays explosion rs being
best adapted for the business. DE Ne
mOurS continued to conduct the works
until his death from cholera, liz 1884,
when his sons. Alfred Victor and Gen.
Henry Dupont, the latter of whom died
last year, succeeded him in the direc-
tion of the business. Henry Dupont
became the chief director of the eStab- |
liShment in 1850.
The works furnished the sole supply |
of powder for the American army in /
the war Of 1912, having then capacity |
of 1000 pounds day. At the present /
time they have capacity of $4,000 /
pounds daily. In addition to the three /
sets of mills which are kept busy on I
the Brandywine, night and day, nine /
smaller mills have been established at /
points in Pennsylvania and New Jersey |
during the past forty years. The gun /
powder produced at the Brandywine /
mills has been an important factor in /
every American war since the revOlu- /
tion and also in several European con- [
hictS. The Dupont Powder Company /
owns about 1000 acres of land about its |
works. and the estate of the late Gen. /