Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-07-17
TWELVE ARE DEAD.
THE LIST OF THE VICTIMS OF ,JHE KINGS
MILLS HORROR.
Twenty or More Injured-An Bye Witness Graph,
Description Of the Terrible Explosion
Great Buildings Wrecked in
Moments Time.

CINCINNATI, July l6.-Following is list
of the killed and injured in the terrible
Kings mills explosion last night:
Mrs. James Deacon.
Henry Reynolds.
Samuel Stephens.
Mrs. James Moss and child.
Mrs. Fred Keller and child.
VIM. Franey, brakeman.
Ralph Williams
Baby Elstine
Nick Snyder.
An unknown man.
Following are the injured: l.. Behr, IL,
employed in Shell factory, lost right arm ;
Ernest Collins, skull crushed, will die;
Mrs. John Schneider, scalp wound; Fred
Keller, severely bruised about the body;
John Mag, bruised about the face, will
lose both eyes; Mrs. Ben Dowdem, severe
" burned: Mrs. Elstine, internal injuries,
shs will not live; Operator Hunt, scalp
wound; Harry Smith, Frank Hunt, Miss
Annie Schneider, Miss Callam, Miss Mag
gle Hutchinson and sister
AZ EXE WITNESSES STORY.
Mr.. j. o. Proctor, well-known resident
of Columbus, arrived in the city on the de-
layed Pennsylvania train at midnight He
was an eye witness TO the terrible affair
ard gave very vivid account Of the eX-
plosion. The gentleman was still suffering
from the effects Of his terrible experience,
and trembled visibly when talking.
81 hardly know how ] can describe the
awful occurrence he said. 81 am still
dazed from the effects of the shock. was
visiting friend near King Mills and dur
ing the afternoon sauntered up the road 10
the cartrdgel factory inspected it
thoroughly. When the freight train came
along started towards my friends house.
On reaching the top of the hill,
turned around just as the
freight train was making running switch
TO the side track. AS looked, ! saw two
detached cars bump against what | sup
posed was an empty car on the side track.
An instant later there was Il rumbling
noise and then the very ground beneath me
seemed TO open. ] saw puff of smoke,
followed a second later by another ant the
cars disappeared. The station and powder
house and dwelling seemed to follow and
the work OF destruction had only just COM
menced All this occurred quicker than |
can relate it, and | stood rooted to the
ground. ! had an idea, of course, Of what
had occurred, but | could not realize ii.
DENSE VOLUMES or FLAME AND SMOKE
came pouring from the doors and windows
of the cartridge factory, and ! saw men,
women and children tearing at each other
in their endeavOr TO escape. The explosion
and the fire at the cartridge house seemed
to be simultaneous. The building did not
catch on fire in any ordinary way, but the
flames seemed to penetrate the doors and
windows from all sides. | saw number
of women come out, but some certainly
perished in the flames \ dwelling house
below the cartridge house was blown from
its foundations and dashed TO the ground.
In this building a mother and child lost
their lives. The scene was one OF
the awfulest ] ever witnessed. The
railroad tracks were twisted and
torn like so much paper and the telegraph
poles and wires were burning like finder.
4 car load of coal about sixty feet distant
caught fire and burned up. We got TO
work as soon as possible and ! know we
got fully dozen women from the powder
house. There was not one but was
INJURED OR BRUISED.
They seemed to be oblivious Of the sur
roundings and don't believe they realized
what had occurred To add to the terrible
scene there was a constant swapping OF the
cartridges, and the rescures We're III dan
ger Of being killed at any time. | don't
want another such experience as long as
live, and hope may never again be an
eve witness 10 such catastrophe. don't
know how many were killed, but | am of
the opinion that ten at least lost their lives.
The number of wounded will he double
that number -