The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1890-10-09
Dupont Powder Works Near VIII
mington. Del, Almost Annlhilated
by Explosion.
The Little Village Of Rockland Com
pletely Demelished--Fifty Pam.
lilies Homeless.
Twelve People Blown Into Eternity
and Score OF Others Manned
and Mangied.

WILMINGTON, Del, Oct. IA terrific
explosion resulting in the loss of several
lives, the injuring Of many people and
the destruction Of much property oc
CURED In ths upper yard OF the exten.
sive powder works Of Il. !. Dupont, De
Nouns q o., OF Braudywine Greek,
three miles north OF this city. The
shock waa keenly felt here and caused
intense excitement. There was six re.
ports resembling the booming Of cannon
and about o second apart.
Physicians Summoned by Telephone
hurrving toward the powder manufac.
tory, was the first indication the public
had of the exact location of the catas-
trophe. Immediately thereafter throngs
ofpeople went to the scene of the disaster.
A United Press reporter was imme-
diately dispatched for the scene. About
q mile from the city the first indications
OF the explosion were visible A large
Episcopal church had more than half its
window sashes blown out, and ia those
that remained the glass was broken.
The yard in which the mills stood was
Uttered with debris of fallen buildings
and ct some places where buildings had
been the only traces left were
Empty Cellars and Foundation stones.
The little village Of Dupont's Banks, inn
mediAtely outside Of the powder yard,
presented most pitiable appearance. A
hundred dwelling were either deznol-
ished on badly damaged. Buildings were
TsMN "a
out and wrecked. Inside the dwellings
the devastation was complete. The
rooms ON the ground hoor were strewn
with broken crockery, crushed stoves
and remnants Of tables, etc.
The soda mills, large stone building
about 300 yards from the magazines, q
wrecked. The rocf Of the charcoal mills
fell, and the buildings themselves took
nre from the furnaces. Effective use Of
the hre apparatus at the works soon ex-
tinEuished the fires. Where the corning
and packing house stood there are holes
IN the ground ten feet deep.
Caase of the Accident.
William r. Green was working in the
magaxine that blew up first. He was
packing powder for the government. 1t
In supposed that his soldering iron be-
Ten men have been killed, the bodies OF
bat two have been found. While day
light lasted portions of the other bodies
were being collected, limb here, an
arm there, piece OF the trunk in an
other place.
IL is estimated that between seven and
ten tons OF powder were exploded, and
some reports say two or three timos that
much. The total loes viii be from
800, 900 TO 900, 900. The company il
rich and VIII begin TO rebuild at once.
Reckland I'm Rains.
!. At midnight messenger brought in
the following dispatch: Ten killed and
upwards OF twenty wounded. The it-
tie town OF Rockland lis complete
wreck. None Of its houses are left
Rockland u village on the Brandy
wine creek about mile above the scene
OF the disaster. It comprised . large
paper miIl owned by the Jessup Il Moore
c0mpany and about fifty dwellings, in
which chiefly resided the mill employees.
ItE population Ii about ZOO. Imme-
diatsly after the explosion large build.
ing known as the Refinery, located
near the center Of the village, took fire. \
It was matter Of life and death to Tho
whole population that thissfire should
be exttnguishsd before IL communicated
with the powder the building contained.
Taking their lives In their hands the
Dupont fire brigade fought the flames,
which had caught the roof. 1t was
touch and 20 between success and de-
struetion, but the hremen won. Haa
the roof fallen in 1t Is doubtful IL
Amy weala Have Escaped Death
or serious injury. About fifty families
are rendered homeless by the disaster
and many were 90 daxed by the terrible |
events Of these 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 appsrtAining TO the works ana they
are receiving such aid ~ they need.
A Total of Twelve.
Later reports show that William Dem |
nison and John Dietz also lost their lives. |
making twelve known 10 have been |
killed. Among the slightly Injured are |
Eugene Dupont, Francis q. Dupont and |
Charles I. Dupont.
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