The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-19
POWDER MILLS BLOWN UP
oNr,Y $50 POUNDS OF BONE AND
FLESH LEFT OF SEVEN MEN.

Five Buildings Shattered by the Con.
onssion-The Cause of the Accident
Mvstery That viii Probably Never
be soIyed-Other Men Working Near
bv Flee for Their Lives.
MOUNT ARLINGTON. N. j., April 49,
The works of the American Forcite Powder
Comnany, on the shores of Lake Hopta-
,ong about a mile below here, blew up at
.bont 8 o'clock this afternoon, and seven
man we're blown to atoms. The names OF
8ve of the men killed are:
! D. Smith, superintendent Of
the works; Jacob Carlson, William
Pisrce. James Vagh and A. Johnson. An-
other body has been recognized as that of a
swele whose name is unknown. Two men
we're injured, one of them Ben Cashmere,
vbois so terribly burned and mangled that
he will probably die. The explosion oc-
curred a few minutes after o'clock and
FIVE buildings were shattered. What caused
the explosion will never be known.
LOCATION OF THE WORKS.
The works of the company consist of a
number of small buildings scattered at a
distance of about 800 feet from each other.
Most Of the buildings were used in the mix
ing process and only one mau was employed
in each. The other bulldogs, which stand
farther away from the lake on the
side Of the mountain, are used
rlvcerlne aud detonators. The works have
been frequently the scene of explosions, but
never to such an extent as to-day. The
EXPLOSION occurred while the full force of
men were at work and created a panic.
The men working in the buildings distant
rom those blown up first heard the roar,
and the buildings in which they were work.
ngshook and trembled for fully a minute.
The explosion sounded far louder than a
Emultaneous explosion Of half a dozen of
Ae largest cannon.
FLIGHT OF THE SURVIVORS.
The startled survivors rushsd from their
wrk and saw a cloud of dust and smoke
firing through the air near the lower part of
tho company's grounds. They knew what
bad happened, and fearing that the ooncus-
a@ might set off the explosives in the
char buildings they took to their heels
aId ran for the mountain side. After q
tsg moments, when they saw that no fur
iaG danger was imminent, they cautiously
rlrned to the scene Of the explosion. The
weckage was already on fire and burning
fgcey. The men went to work at once to
ovahaul the wreck in search of the men
VINO mad been at work in the ruined build
lg& Within few minutes they succeed
ed IN finding two men, both of whom were
badly injured. Meanwhile the company's
fire pspperatus was run out aud water from
belake was used to fight the fire.
SEARCHING FOR THE MISSING.
As soon as the flames were under control
he roll of the company's employees was
/ allied, and it was found that seven were
Missing. A search for their bodies was
aen begun The searchers were mostly
Id employees of the company, and knew
hat IN case like the present one it vas
seless to search among the
nins Scattered over several acres
ID ground they found one hundred
md fifty pounds OF flesh and bone, which is
l that remains of the bodies OF the vic
ms What could be found was gathered
D IN boxes aud will be buried by the
Smpany.
TWO OTHER COMPANIES NEAR BY.
There are two other powder companies
this vicinity. The Atlantic Giant
Powder Company is at Kenville, three
miles away and the Uuited States powder
aorage depot station is at Dover, which is
about seven miles from the scene of the
explosion. The exp.osion was plainly
Iet at Kenville and the employees at work
Ihlnklng that it was part Of their own
WORKS which had blown up, left their
benches. People at Dover thought
tne United States powder depot had ex-
pIoded and at Mount Hope the miners at
%oiS underground felt the jar and thought
~ was an earthquake and hastily went
above ground.