The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-08
APOWDER EXPLOSION
The Duport Mills at Wilmington
Blown Up.
DEATH AND DEsoLATIoN ABOUND
A Can of Hexagonal Powder is Somehow lg
nited-Names of the Dead ana Injured
The Loss of Properly.

WILMINGTON, Del. Oct. 7.-Several
startling explosions in quick succession
some counted five, others seven-at $3.50
2. IN. announced to Wilmington a disaster
at the Dupont powder works on the
Brandywine. A rush was made for tele-
phones but nothing could be learned
beyond vague reports of the damage. An
| Associated Press representative FASTENED
| to the scene and has wired that the whole
section of the works known as the upper
yard is complete wreck and at least six
lives lost. One of the magazines went off
first and the rolling and drying mills near
by, set off by the conclusion, followed in
rapid succession. There were at least
seven distinct successive explosions. Every
dwelling in the neighborhood is reported
wrecked or unroofed and more or less dam
aged. Telephone inquiries from West
Chester state that the explosions were dis
tinctiy heard in that section.
Laler-A messenger has just brought IN,
the following dispatch, which shows that
the worst has not yet been learned of the
powder mill explosions Ten are killed
and twenty wounded. Rockland is a con-
plete wreck; none of its houses are left
standing.
Reckland is village on the Brandywine
fully mile above the scene of the explo-
sion. 1t comprises a large paper mill
owned by the Jessup & Moore company,
and about fifty dwellings, in which chiefly
reside mill employees. Its population is
about two hundred. Evidences of the
destruction at that distance leads to the
! belief here that the number of killed and
wounded is not yet fully ascertaine].
The Dupont powder mills extend along
the Brandywine chiefly on the west bank,
and close to the water for about two miles.
They are divide into the upper "Hagleyn
and .lcwer yardsn The former is three
miles and the latter five miles from Viii
mington. The report Of the damage done
! at Rockland proves incorrect as to
| locality, the name of Rocklard seing
enormously used for the buildings clustered
round what is known locally as 1.-THE upper
yard There are some fifty houses inhab-
tied by employees OF the powder mills cius-
| tered here and there, which were all
wrecked. The damage to property cannot
thoroughly estimated tonight The force
of the concussion even broke windows in
some parts of Wilmington, four or five
miles away.
The following is a partial list Of the
killed: Martin DolaR, James Dolau, John
Maretigan. William Dennison, John Dietz,
Thomas Hurlike, John Hurlike, Patrick
Dougherty, John Newall, William Green
and woman named Rose Dougherty. Sew
eral others are missing.
More seriously injured, so far as learned,
are: Daniel Harkins, William Logan, Annie
and Marie Dolan, James Ward, Hugh
i Ferry, John McDougaH, Mrs. William Nc
/ Dougall, her two-year old daughter and
| Lyde Anderson.
Andrew Godfrey, Frank Hollis, John
McCoffrey, Charles Godfrey, Thomas f.
Dougherty. Several of the injured will
die.
The office of the Dupont company is q
complete wreck and six mill are in ruins
Several members of the Dupont fl: n were
injured by falling walls aud broken glass
!, but none of them seriously The deao
were all employees of the company anG
were in and about the mills that exploded
Several workmen are missing and are be
!, lieved to have been blown into fragments
The first explosion occurred in one of the
packing mills, where workman named
Gran was receiving a can of hexogona
powder to be shipped for the use of the
} United States government. In some way
l a spark communicated TO the can and il
blew MP. Instantly the packing mill ex
, ploded, and the otner mills in the upper
yards, seven or eight in number, followed
at intervals of less than one second. Al
these, except one, were rolling mills IL
which the ingredients of gunpowder are
, pulverized by vertical stone rollers turning
slowly around a centre post. Immediatel,
after the explosion the large building
known the, refinery, located near the
l centre Of the village, took fire. 1t was
< matter of life and death to the whole popu
: lace so that the fire should be exunguisheC
before it communicated with the powde
that building contained. The Dupont hr,
brigade succeeded in extinguishing thu
flames Had the roof fallen in, it is doubt
full if any man, woman or child III the vi
cinity would have escaped death or seriou
t injury About fifty families are rendere
q homeless by the disaster.
t The estimated loss cannot be less thar
4 S5000G0.