The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-07-17
The Kings Mills Powder Explosion.

CINCINNATI July 1G.-The following is a
list of the killed at the explosion yesterday
at Kings mills Mrs. James Deacon, Henry
Reynolds, Samuel Stephens, Mrs. James
Moss and child, Mrs. Fred Miller and child.
William Francy, brakeman, Ralph Will
iams' baby Elstine, Nick Snyder and an
unknown man. A dozen were injured.
some of whom will die
Joseph Porter was an eyewitness to the
terrible affair. He gave very vivid ac-
count of the explosion. The gentleman is
still suffering from the effects of his terri
Bile experience, and trembled visibly when
talking. Il hardly know how l can de-
scribe the awful occurrence / am still
dazed from the effects of the shock | was
visiting friend near Kings mills and dur
ing the afternoon sauntered up the road to
the cartridge factory. When freight train
came along | started toward my friends
house On reaching the top of the hill turned
around just as the freight train was max
ing running switch to side track | saw
the brakeman on one of the cars as they
shot on to side track. He was waving his
hand to some one on the train. AS | looked
saw two detached cars bump against what
L supposed to be an empty car on the side
track. An instant later there was rum
bling noise, then the very ground beneath
me seemed to open. / saw puff of smoke
followed second later by another. and the
cars disappeared. The station and powder
house and the dwellings seemed to follow
ana the work OF destruction had only Just
commenced. | stood rooted to the ground.
had an IDEA, of course, of what had oc-
CURED, but / could not realize it. knew
many lives were going out, but was DOW
erless TO lend any assistance. Then dense
volumes OF flame came pouring from the
doors and windows of the cartridge fac
tory, and | saw men, women and children
tearing at each other in their frantic
endeavors TO escape. The explosion and
IRE at tue cartridge house seemed to be
simultaneous. The building did not catch
on fire in the ordinary way, but the flames
seemed to penetrate the doors and windows
from all sides. l saw number of women
come out, but some certainly persisted in the
flames. A dwelling house below the cart
ridge house was blown from its foundation
and dashed TO the ground. In this build
ing mother and child lost their lives How
long stood l don't know, but managed to
make my way to the scene and others in
the neighborhood also gathered. The
scene was one of the awfullest | ever
witnessed. The railroad tracks were
twisted and torn like so much paper. and
the telegraph poles and wires were burned
to so much finder. We got to work soon as
possible, and know we got fully a dozen
women and men from the powder house.
There was not one but was injured or
bruised They seemed to be oblivious TO
their surroundings, as 1 don't think they
realized what occurred. Some were burned
and others cut and bruised by the force OF
the explosion. To add to the terrible
scene there was a constant swapping of
cartridges, and rescuers were in danger of
being killed atany time. Idon't know how
many were killed, but l am Of the opinion
that ten at least lost their lives The mum
Der OF wounded will be double that num-
herr