Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-08-15
! BEAT EARTHQUAKES.
Lvder Mill Near Huntington Ex-
plOdes With Terrific Force.
THOUSAND POUNDS
Powder gxplodss-Thrss Men Killed and About
Forty IljRrsd-TwO Men Blown TO Pieces.
The Nils the Largest in the
WOrld-Ths Loss.
...,,, rs,.gram to tAs Register.

s-,-1I TslsgrGrn 70 TIE Register.
1 HrNr1NGrON, w. VA, August IA
,rrifc explosion occurred at the works
the Continental Powder Company,
mr. miles below the city this morning.
fbree men are tonight dead on account
the catastrophe and the injured are
1 Sumbered by twenties.
At o'clock this mOrling the people
\ This neighborhood were shocked
Dd startled by report as Of
cannon close by. Soon they directed
heir attention toward the powder works
nd a huge bulk of smoke as of a cloud
sing was seen. All the carriages
Ivailable in the city were at once char
bred. and in half hour 1000 people
MI gathered at the works to see and
harm the nature and extent Of the
Iisaster. 1t was found that
hree men had lost their lives,
.wo Of these being employed
the building where the explosion oc-
lurred. One was hit and cut by a fly
" missile from the demolished build
h.. The buildings OF this company are
Ii;uated at some distances from each
b,her so that if the powder in one
|hould explode the others are protected
|rom danger.
Timothy Cooney, of New York, an
lxperienced powder hand, and WeS
BarlieS, his helper, OF this city, were In
|he glazing room. The machinery had
Io ot started and from some cause which
ever will be explained the powder in
|his building ignited and the
AWFUL AND FATAL
EXPLOSION ensued. Parts of the bodies
Df the TWO men were found In
places all over the ground literally
|orn in ShredS and small pieces, and
BATTERED over the ground.
George Wells, OF Guyandotte, was
SmOloyed in the soda room, and had
Inst stepped outside of the door when
b. was struck by piece OF the lying
machinery and killed instantly. There
Mere forty of the 100 hands who sus-
Eained painful but not serious cuts ana
bruises.
In the building where the explosion
occurred there were 600 kegs OF powder
eady TO be glazed and while WssI IN d there 11 Is s
bash and the reverbation caused dam
{ ge to windows over a radius OF Is
hiles. No other,deaths will result from
.his explosion.
This is the first accident that has oc-
eurred to the works, which are the
|argest of their kind in the world. The
oSs to the company is not over $50, 900.
Their system is TO have different build
|ngs for different processes, so that an
Explosion is not ruinOuS entirely to the
works. but only to the building where
IN explosion occurs.
THE PLANT
gaS the largest in the country,
having capacity of 500 kegs per day.
About sixty men were employed, and
Inc buildings were scattered over nearly
he whole of the two hundred acres of
and owned by the corporation. There
vas about $4,000 pounds of powder in
he building destroyed, and had it been
,onfned the effects Of the explosion
Rould have been far-reaching and dis
lStrOuS.
The Company was organized about
rear ago, and the works were only COM
)leted about two months ago. The
President of the corporation is Col.
Paige, Of the we'll known contracting
irm OF Paige, Carey & Co., = and a num-
,er Of Parkersburg and Huntington
capitalists are interested.
The damage will be repaired as soon
IS possible, and the manufacture re-
umed.