The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1890-10-15
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
Destruction Of the Dupont Powder
Works at Wilmington, Del
A Fearful Loss Of Life Reported-Two VII
lagos Blown to Atoms MANY Families
Made Notwithstanding
scenes.

! WILMINGTON, Del, Oct A-Several
startling explosions in quick succession
some counted five, others seven-at
$3.50 o'clock yesterday afternoon an
nounced to Wilmington disaster at
the Dupont powder works on the
Brandywine. A rush was made for tel
ephones. but nothing could be learned
beyond vague reports of damage.
As soon as horsemen from here could
reach the works it was found that the
whole section of the works known as
upper yard" was complete wreck.
and at least twelve persons were killed
and twenty wounded, while Rockland
houses being left standing
Rockland is village on the Brandy
wine fully mile above the scene Of the
explosion. 1t has a large paper mill
owned by the Jessup & Moore Company,
about fifty dwellings, in which chiefly
reside the mill employees. Its popula-
ton is about 200.
There were several reports resemb bling
the booming OF cannon and aLout Sec
ond apart The first thought was that
there had been an explosion at the pow
der works, but the reports seeming SO
near and not being characterized by the
usual rumbling and there being no
smoke visible in the direction of the
mills, it was imagined that the explo-
sion had occurred in the city The hazy
atmosphere hid the smoke and caused
the reports to sound differently from
those of preceding explosions.
Physicians summoned by telephone
and hurrying toward the powder manu-
factory was the first indica ton the pub
lie had of the exact location of the
catastrophe. Immediately thereafter
thousands of people went to the scene
of the disaster
The office Of the Dupont Company is
a complete wreck and six mills are in
ruins Several members of the Dupont
firm were injured by falling walls and
broken glass, but none of them serious
ly. Among the slightly injured are:
Eugene Dupont. the head of the firm;
Francis G. Dupont and Charles l. Du-
pont They and several clerks in the
office were cut by fragments of broken
glass but none of them seriously.
The dead were all employees of tho
company and were in and about the
mills that exploded.
Several workmen are missing and arc
believed to have been blown int frag-
ments. The wounded received their in
juries among the walls of their falling
houses and by broken glass and flying |
debris.
The first explosion occurred in one Of |
the packing mills, where workman |
named Grau was soldering can of |
hexagonal powder to be shipped for the
use OF the United States Government
In some way spark communicated to
the can and blew it up Instantly the |
packing mill exploded, and the other
mills in the upper yards, seven or eight
in number, followed at intervals of less
than one second. All these, except one,
were rolling mills" in which the in
gradients of gunpowder are pulverized
by the action of vertical rollers of stone
turning slowly around central post.
The whole machinery is driven by water
power.
Immediately after the explosion a
large building known as the refinery"
located near the center of the village,
took fire. 1t was a matter of life and
death to the whole population that this
fire should be extinguished before it
with the powder the
building contained. The Dupont fire
brigade valiantly fought the flames,
which had caught the roof and succeed
ed in extinguishing them. Had the
roof fallen in it is doubtful if any man,
woman or child in the vicinity would
have escaped death or serious injury.
About fifty families are rendered home
ess by the disaster
At Mount Salem Methodist Church
more than one-half of the window sashes
,f the large building were blown out
and of those that remained the glass
was broken.
At the scene of the disaster women
and children, wives and sons and daugh-
'ers of men employed in the powder
were madly rushing here
Ind there seeking information about the
safety of their loved ones The yard in
which the mills stood was Uttered with
iebris of fallen buildings and at some
places where buildings had been the
'nly trace left was empty cellars and
lew foundation stones.
The little village of Dupont's Banks
outside the powder yard,
presented a most pitiable appearance.
hundred dwellings were either de-
nolished or badly damaged. Buildings
we're unroOfed and fronts of houses
we're blown out and wrecked. Inside
he dwellings the devastatio was COM
'lete- The rooms on the ground floor
we're strewn with broken crockery,
rushed stoves and remnants of tables,
tic.
1t is estimated that the loss can not
De less than $4,000
Fifty families are rendered homeless
~ the disaster and many were so dazed ..
y the terrible events of those few Sec
'nds as to seem hardly conscious of
where they were or what they were
loing. The injured are being gathered
nto the hospital building appertaining
o the works and are recei wing sncb aid