Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-10-08
roMnEn nILLs blows or.
Many Person. KILLED and Fatally
wounded

WILMINGTON, Del, Oct 5.-Sev-
eral startling explosions IN quick
succession - some counted nve,
others seven - at $50 p m an
nounced a disaster at the Dupont
Powder Works on the Brandywine.
a rush was made for the telephone;
but nothing could be learned oeyonu
vague reports Of damage An As
ISOLATED Press representative mas,
tened to the scene and has wired
that the whole section OF the WORKS
known rs the "upPer yard Is q
complete wreck, and at least six
lives lost One Of the magazines
went Off FIST, aud the rolling and
drying mills near by were set OH by
the conclusion, followed In rapid
succession. There were at least
seven distinct, successive explosions.
Every dwelling in the neighoOrhood
Is reported wrecked OF unrOoied-
TELEPHONE inquiries from West
chester state that the explosions
were distinctly heard In that sec
ton.
Later-A messenger has just
brought In the following dispatch,
which shows that the w1rst has not
yet be-n harmed OF the powder hill
explosions: ten killed; twenty
wounded. Rocklani n complete
wreck; none OF its houses len stand
ing.'
The Dupont powder mills extend
along the BraEdywine, chiefly On
tie west bank aui close to the
water, for about two miles. They
are divided into the upper, Hagley
and lower yards The former Is three
miirs anu the latter Eve miles from
Wilmington The report OF damage
done at ROckland prOves incorrect
rs 70 locality, the name Of Rockland
being enormously used for the btiiId'
ings clustered around what Is known
as the Upper Yard" There are
some fifty houses, Inhabited by EN-
ployes OF the powder mills, clustered
here, and these were all wrecked
The damage 10 property cannot "
thoroughly estimated tonight ms
force OF the conclusion even brOk'
windows in sons parts Of Whining
ton, four or five miles away Ih'
office Of the Dupont Company Is
complete wreck, and six mills are II
ruins.
several members Of the D1Pon
firm were injured by falling wall
anu broken glass, but none OF then
seriously. The dead were all EN-
plOyes OF the company and were u
and about the mills that exploded
Several w0rkmsn are missing ant
are believed TO have been blown L
fragments.
Inc first explosion occurred II
one Of the packing mills where
workman named Gran was receiv
ing a can Of heXagOnal powder
20 lie shipped for the use Of tn
United States government.
some way 4 spark was cOmmuni
Gated 10 the eau aud 1t blew NJ
Instantly the packing mill expi0de'
ana the other mills in the uppe
yards, seven or eight ia number
followed AZ intervals Of les than on
second. All these except one wer
"r1liing Mills in which the In
gradients ace pulverized 10y vertica
rollers Of stone, turning slOWl.
around a center poet
Immediately after the explosion
large building, known As the "re
finery,'' located near the center o
the village, took fire. IL was mat
ter Of lie and death 10 the Who'll
reofle that the fire should he ex
tinguishei tefore il communicate
4 i'm the powder that the building
contained. The Dupont fire bri
sade succeeded in extinguishini
The flames. Had the roof fallen in
il j. doubtful IL any man, womal
or child would have escaped dealt
or serious injury. About fry fam
lilies are rendered homeless by tn
disaster.