Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-10-09
Fl n Yesterday 5 Every Eretins.

Fr IN Yesterday Every EveEins.
A tiny spark accidentally dropping
from an iron in the hand of trusty and
highly skilled workman has brought to
Wilmington the worst calamity she has
ever known, and turned the pitiful, sym
pathetic attention of the civilized world
for day upon the metropolis of the
ID amond State. Though in constant
peril of such terrible disasters as that OF
yesterday, the work of this great agent
of warfare hndu every one Mortified. Six
sharp reports of seconds interval and
ten or more lives go out, so families are
homeless, and as many dresides are
wrecked and desolRte. At 3.2j O'Clock
yesterday afternoon six deatoning thun-
der-like reports in the Upper Yards Of
the du Pont powder works was the an
nounoement to the country for miles
around that the worst disaster happening
in the almost century of The du Point
works existence had just occurred.
Thirty tons Of powder had exploded and
had filed little hamlet, known locally
as Upper Banks, with crowd of terror
stricken, homeless people. Seven great
mills were blown to atoms, with but here
and there fragment to mark the site
they had occupied. Upward of so homes
were wrecked and all the household
effects destroyed. Within considerable
radius the damage extended, being
mainly confined to the breaking of glass
in windows and similar destruction.
When the awful blow fell upon the little
community the people not employed
about the mills were mostly indoors, and
at the first report rushed terror.stricken
into tho highway just as their homes
were falling about their heads.
Directly after the explosion the air was
filled with missiles of every description
flying at reckless random. There was q
literal shower Of stones spreading over
everything and falling with violence
that tore up the earth into which they
buried themselves. 1t seemed as if no
one who had withstood the shock of the
explosion could esoape tue deadly mis-
siles and that the number If dead does
not aggregate score or more is o mys-
teyy TO every one. Cows and horses in
aeiehboring fields were felled to the
ground by the shock and chickens were
killed outright by the terrible conclusion.
The shock was terrific, ind even thase
who escaped with their lives sunAaad
from the awful conclusion which patessily
siupsfi fed them for a time. The men es-
Gaping from the mills ran for their
homes, but the transformation had been
SO complete that they were unable to dis
tingu;sh their homes from the debris OF
neighbors. The wives and children were
in terrible terror, afraid to move lest
more disaster would overtake them, and
fearfully apprehenaive that father or
brothers had been killed in the terrible
wreokage of the mills. There was no
panic The people were simply dazed.
The work of destruction had been SO
quick and awful that the community was
etupefied and powerless.
Every member of the little community
mourned the loss Of their home and all
their househo possessions but SO CRATE
full were they that their lives had been
spared, that no voice was given to be-
wailing property losses. Directly after
the explosion q spark fired refinery just
in the midst Of this gathering of home
less people. Every one knew that il the
fire penetrated the sheathing of the
building there would have been whole
sale slaughter OF the people. The dszed
men were gotten into action and the ire
apparatus of the company got into eftec-
tive service. 1t was indeed battle for
life. for home and for family. Never
did men face such danger. II Teqnires
bravery and desperate cause TO nght
againRt such trescherous enemy as was
confined in that building. The battle
was short and decisive and the brave
boys won the fight.
OF tie slain there were but two bodies
OF the workDlen found up to last night.
William Green, whose iron is said to have
iqnited the fatal spark, Yves found close
to the spot he had stood when the charge
went of. He had been killed by the con-
cussion and beyond some burns on his
body there were no external maTks or
~iolenee. His COMPANION and helper