Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-16
Is TONS OF POWDER
OR THIRTEEN HUNDRED KEGS Ex-
PLODE WITH TERRIFIC EFFECT.
Ten Persons Killed Outright-Thirty In
jured-Buiidings Fired and Con-
sumed-R. X. Tracks Torn Up.
By telegraph % the pispasci,

CINCINNATI. o., July ia terrible ex-
plosion occurred late this afternoon at
Kings powder-mills. on the Little Miami
railroad, twenty-nine miles east OF this
city. Six persons were killed. and dozen
OF more seriously injured. Two empty
freight-cars were being rolled on to the
side-track where car containing 500 kegs
Of gunpowder were standing. AS
the cars struck there was q terrific
explosion, and Immediately afterward
another car containing 500 kegs or
gun-powder exploded. making thir-
teen hundred kegs altogether. William
Frauly, brakeman in the service of the
Little Miami. was standing on one OF the
empty cars when the explosion occurred.
His body must have been blown TO pieces,
although no trace of it has yet been found.
Five other persons. supposed 10 DE EN-
ploy6s of the powder company. were
killed. The King Powder Company and
Peters Cartridge-Works have works on
both sides of the river along the railroad.
The explosion occurred on the south side
and the destruction was enormous.
COTTAGES sHATrEBED.
There were number Of cottages occu-
pied by workmen in the powder-factoGy
and situated close TO the track. inese
were shattered by the explosion and their
inmates injured. Twelve or fifteen girls
at work in the cartridge-factOry were
crippled by the explosion. The railway
station or freight-houses belonging to the
Little Miami railroad. together with all
the adjacent buildings, We're set on hre
and totally consumed. The havoc wrought
by the explosion of sixteen tons of pow.
der is dreadful. The track and ties OF
the railroad are fairly torn out OF and
great hole ploughed in the ground;
The Peters cartridge-factory was burned
to the ground.
sMoUIDERING RUINS.
Nothing but mass Of smouldering ruins
remain to mark the spot where the build,
| ing stood As soon as the news reached
this city, about o'clock. a relief tram was
dispatched 20 the scene of the disaster
with Superintendent Peters and a large
party of surgeons on board, and relief was
afforded the sufferers as soon rs possible:
The work of searching for the missing and
caring for the wounded is now progressing,
as most of the girls who were working live
at Morrow and South Lebanon. II Is most
probable that they will be taken TO their
homes in these places. IL IL hardly pos
sible that any train will return from Kings
Mills earlier than 10 O'clock and further
particulars will be obtained then.
THE FACTORY.
The Peters cartridge-factory was large
! building. and fully supplied with great
amount of costly machinery. both for the
manufacture Of shells and the loading OF
shotgun ammunition and large force OF
employees were at work at the time that the
explosion occurred.
TEN DEAD BODIES.
The news from Kings Mills at O'Clock
| tonight j. that ten bodies have been taker
| from the ruins, and thirty are known to b'
wounded.
Definite news is more likely to swell tbs
| list OF casualties than to diminish 1t.
LArER-FIGHTING THE PuT.
A messenger Of the Adams Express Com
| panv on "A local train of the Pan Handle
| road arrived from the scene of the explosion
at 12:45 o'clock this morning. lie SAYS
| when he passed Kings Mill station
| at 1880 il was rs bright ~ day. All aroun'
everything cOmbustible was burning anI
| the people everywhere for q great distance
around were fighting the FIRE. He says tn
Peters cartridge-factory was large three
| story brick building and that 1t was stu
| burning. The roadmaster OF the Lltti
| Miami got on at that station. where he ha'
| been for several hours.
| no TRACE OF THEM.
The roadmaster's information was tina
| there were three families living in the In
tie cottages near the place of the explc
sion. and that SIX hours diligent scare
| failed to find any trace Of them. He sal
| further that all was confusion there, an
that such q thing "a ascertaining the name
was next 10 an impossibiliiy.
| The GIRLS ESCAPE.
An incident related by him was tina
eight or ten girls in the factory save
| themselves from the flames by catchin
| bold of rope that happened to hang, frol
| the house 10 the ground and sliding dow
His story is that more than ten were killed