The Dickinson press., 1890-10-11

WILMINGTON, Del, Oct. ga terrific
explosion resulting in the loss of several
lives, the injuring of many people and
the destruction Of much property oc-
Cured in the upper yard of the extern
i've powder works of E. 1. Dupont, De
Nouns & Co., of Brandywine Creek,
three miles north of this city. The
shock was keenly felt here and caused
intense excitement. There was six re-
ports resembling tho booming Of cannon
and about q second apart.
Physicians Summoned by Telephone
hurrying toward the powder manufac-
tory, was the first indication the public
had of the exact location of the catas-
trophe. Immediately thereafter throngs
of people went to the scene of the disaster.
A United Press reporter was imlne-
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 haf its
window sashes blown out, and in those
that remained the glass was broken.
The yard in which the mills stood was
Uttered with debris of fallen buildings
and at some places where buildings had
been the only traces left were
Empty Cellars and Foundation stones.
The little village of Dupont's Banks, i'm
mediately outside of the powder yard,
presented a most pitiable appearance. A
hundred dwelling were either demol-
ished or badly damaged. Buildings were
r~roof,N fvo,,%, ~ 1o,ca, .u,.a 11,,.,
out and wrecked. Inside the dwellings
the devastation was complete. The
| rooms on the ground floor were strewn
with broken crockery, crushed stoves
and remnants of tables, etc.
The soda mills, q large stone building
about 200 yards from the magazines, is
wrecked. The roof of the charcoal mills
fell, and the buildings themselves took
fire from the furnaces. Effective use of
the fire apparatus at the works soon ex-
1inguished the fires. Where the corning
and packing house stood there are holes
i'll the ground ten feet deep.
Cause of the Accident.
William r. Green was working in the
magazine that blew up first. He was
packing powder for the government. It
is supposed that his soldering iron be-
came too hot and ignited the powder.
Ten men have been killed, the bodies of
but two have been found. While day
light lasted portions of the other bodies
were being collected, q limb here, an
arm there, a piece of the trunk in an
other place.
1t is estimated that between seven and
ten tons of powder We're exploded, and
some reports say two or three limos that
much. The total loss will be from
5000, 600 to $500, 900. The company is
rich and will begin to rebuild at once.
Rockland in Ruins.
At midnight q messenger brought in
the following dispatch: Ten killed and
upwards of twenty wounded. The lit
tie town Of Rockland is a complete
wreck. None of its houses are left
standing.
Rockland is a village on the Brandy
wine creek about q mile above the scene
of the disaster. 1t comprised a large
paper mill owned by the Jessup & Moore
company and about fifty dwellings, in
which chiefly resided the mill employees.
Its population is about 200. Imme-
diately after the explosion a large build
ing known as the Refinery" located
neal the center of the village, took lire.
1t was a matter of life and death to the
whole. population that this fire should
be extinguished before it communicated
with the powder the building contained.
Taking their lives in their hands the
Dupont fire brigade fought the flames,
which had caught tho roof. It was
touch and go between success and de-
struction, but the firemen won. Had
the roof fallen in it is doubtful if
Any Would Have Escaped Death
or serious injury. About fifty families
are rendered homeless by the disaster
and many We're 81 dazed 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 appertaining to the works and they
are receiving such aid as they need.
A Total Of Twelve.
Later reports show that William Den
nison and John Dietz also lost their lives,
making twelve known to have been
killed. Among the slightly injured are
Eugene Dupont, Francis G. Dupont and
Charles I. Dupont.