The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-08-15

Operation but n snort A''"''
s.,..,, DgDqseA 10 ae Inieatgmer.
crrrpo, W. Va, Aug. l4.-About 8
ocJock this morning everything within
~. miles of this place was shaken as ii
%r % an earthquake. For miles there
o!oIJ be heard slow, rumbling explo-
si,e sound, which seemed to last a full
half minute. Glass ratified and houses
,rembled and people were momentarily
.red with fear Of an earthquake.
When no second shock followed, spec
NATION was INDUCED as to what caused
tbe shock, and people, almost with one
accord, decided that the powder
mill at Kellogg, or Central City located
about five miles from here had blown
m, Several persons, including your
correspondent, took the first train on
t6e Chesapeake & Ohio road for Kellogg
w inyestirate. The five mile trip was
made in few minutes and scene OF
Je.olation presented itself.
THE GLAZING MILL GONE.
The glazing mill had blown up, and
n, the time OF the explosion had con-
tained about two hundred kegs of pow
der. There was nothing save hole to
mark The former location OF the glazing
mill and the spot where it he'd stood
was cleaner than the surrounding
ground. II had scattered debris over
Several acres, but had left the spot
where it stood as clean as if 1t had been
swept,
in tlIe glazing mill at the time, and not
particle OF their bodies remained to
Mi the story. Not SO much us q bit Of
cloth was found near the ruin. 1t was
aquick and awful death and the ami
hilatiOn was complete.
AAying missel struck George Wells
on the head, inhicting wounds from
which he died in few hours. Cooney
was from New Jersey, and came to Kel-
logg at the time the factory was started.
lie is an experienced powder maker,
andwas in charge Of the glazing mill.
J. ". DOiles lived at Huntington, and
had been employed about the plant only
few weeks. Wells Is a resident OF
Guyandotte, and was learning the pow
der making business.
Seyeral others, probably half ardozen
men, were injured, somo seriously. AT
this time 1t is impossible to get their
names or the exact extent Of their In
diyilual injuries. Doctors Wharton
and Spertly, Of this place, went at once
to tile scene OF the accident and are
doing all in their power to alleviate the
suiEcrings OF the injured. There are
now hundreds OF people at the scene OF
the explosion, drawn there by curiosity,
and some from a desire to be OF assist
ancc in caring for the wounded.
BITS OF FLESH FoUSD.
TWAS reported this afternoon that q
few shrcds OF flesh and a small piece OF
bone were found hanging on tree hall
amiIe from the scene Of the explosion,
but the report could not be verified.
Bricks and other debris are scattered
over large expanse OF territory, and
had 1t not been that very few people
were about the place, the list of killed
and injured would surely have been
much larger.
The Phoenix powder mills at Kellogg
were started only few months ago and
were among the most complete and
the best equipped for safety in the
country. Tho plant covers about forty
acres OF ground and is so arranged that
the buildings are all isolated from each
other, reducing danger TO the whole
plant from tho explosion Of one build
ing TO the minimum. The engine and
boiler rooms are located at the middle
Of one side OF the tract covered by the
plant. From this point; the shafting L
operate the machinery in the different
buildings is carried along the grount
and there is, in all, several miles o
main driving shafting. The machiner,
is all arranged to work automatically
and no one is in any OF the building
except the engine and boiler room a
any time when the machinery is II
operation. In the grinding room, To-
example, n sufficient quantity OF ma
tsFlal is placed in the hoppers to keeI
lhe machinery going for six hours.
TIE MEN GO AWAY.
The men fill these hoppers, lock tn,
doors and leave. The machinery il
started and the men do not return til
the six hours run is finished and th,
machinery stopped. This same systen
prevails throughout the plant and whel
near. - O'N
When this mornings explosion tool
p1aee' The machinery was not in opera
uGh and the men were removing tile re
sun oil the last shift OF work and film
up ior the next. This fact makes tn,
yious. '''' -"0'e al s'e
~, A later dispatch says: D. n. Parks
CHARLES Knowly and John Shauster
.,1ln %orkmen in the big mill who wer
standing four hundred yards away
were were severely injured by flying missile
ult 6lackened the air. K few other
sIe ny slightly hurt. What caused the OK
P'osion no one is living that can tel
archie Livingston, the superintendent
wa. was Standing right by tho mill when
..a,t was blown to atoms, and he escaped III
No Ono Knlcd in the wreck.