The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-17
AN ANEXPLOSION'SH HORRORS
AN EYE WITNESS. TELLS OF THE
KINGS MILLS DISASTER,

He Had Just Left the Scene and
Reached a Point of Safety - Two
Puffs of Smoke and Then Came the
Earth Shaking Conclusion Fire
Leaps From the Cartridge Factory.
CINCINNATI, o., July l6.-Twelve were
killed and fourteen injured at the explosion
yesterday at Kings mills. Joseph Proctor,
we'll known resident Of Columbus. arrived
In the city on the Pennsylvania train at
midnight He was an eyewitness to the
terrible affair and gave a very vivid nc-
count of the explosion. He was suffering
from the effects Of his experience and trem-
bled vislbly when talking. 81 hardly know
how can describe the awful occurrence. /
am still dazed from the effects of the shock.
was visiting friend near Kings mills,
and during the afternoon sauntered up the
road to the cartridge factory. 1 inspected
it thoroughly and chatted with some Of the
workmen for quite a while.
WALKING AWAY FROM DEATH
when the freight train came along
started toward my friends house, which is
over the hill overlooking the works On
reaching the top of the hill turned around
just as the freight train was making a run
ming switch to the side-track. | saw q
brakeman on one Of the cars as they shot on
to the side-track, and he was waving his
hand to some one on the train. AS looked
l saw the two detached cars bump against
what supposed was an empty car on the
side-tracK.
THE EXPLOSION.
"An instant later there was q rumbling
noise and then the very ground beneath me
fn ( - Il. II
lowed a second later by another, and 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 |
relate, and stood rooted to the ground |
an idea, of course, of what had occurred
but | could not realize it. l knew that
many lives we're going out, but l was pow
erleSs to lend assistance.
THE CARTRIDGE FACTORY ON FIRE.
'Then immense volumes Of 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 frantic endeavors to
escape The explosion and fire at the
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 perished in the flames
The dwelling house below the cartridge
house was blown from its foundation and
dashed to the ground. In this building a
mother and child lost their lives How
long | stood do not know, but | managed
TO make my way to the scene. and others in
the neighborhood were also gathering.
AN APPALLING SCENE.
The scene was one of the most awful |
have eyer witnessed. The railroad tracks
were twisted and torn like so much paper
and the telegraph poles and wires were
burned like SO much timber. A carload 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 and men from the powder house
There was not one but was injured or
bruised.
DAzED BY THE CONCLUSION.
"They seemed to be oblivious of the sur
roundings, and do not think they realized
what had occurred. Some were burned
and others were cut and bruised by the
force OF the explosion. To add to the terri
bic scene, there was constant swapping of
cartridges, and the rescu rs were in danger
of being killed at any time. do not want
another such experience as long as live,
and | hope | may never witness another
such catastrophe. don't know how many
were killed, but am of the opinion that ten
at least lost their lives. The number of the
wounded will be double that number"