Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-04-19
SCRAPS OF FLESH.
All an Explosion Left OF Seven
Workmen.
sHAsTLY COLLECTION OF REMAINS.

Sits of Humanity. Picked Up from Acres
of Ground. Weighing in All About so
Pounds - The Deadly Nitro-GIycerine
Shows Its Power Once More-Two other
Workmen Injured, One of Whom VIII
Die-Tremendous Force of the Explo-
sion-Houses iri'the Vicinity Rocked.
NEWARK, y. j., April 1.-THE works of
She American Forcite Powder CO., n short
distance from the landing station at lake
Nopatcong, on the Morris and Essex rail.
way, blew up shortly after 8 O'Clock yes
blown to atoms. The killed are: }. D.
Smith, superintendent Of the works
Jacob Carlson, William PIERCE, james
Vagh, A. johnson, Godfrey Water and an
unknown Swede Besides these two men
were injured. One of them, Benjamin
Cashmere, will probably die
1t Rocked the Buildings.
The works of the company consisted of
number of small buildings scattered at a
distance of about 800 feet from each other.
The nitro-glycerine mill was the first
building to go up, and the shock of this
explosion caused six other buildings to he
rent asunder by their dangerous contents
exploding. The report was terrific and
was heard in the surrounding country for
many miles. Buildings in the vicinity
rocked as If on stormy sea and in some
Instances appeared as if about to topple
over. The startled residents rushed from
their houses and saw cloud of dust and
smoke flying through the air. near the
lower part of the company's works.
Knew What Had Happened.
They knew instinctively what had hap
pened, and ran for the mountain side, fear
full that some of the large storage houses
of the company, in which there were tons
OF the highest and deadliest explosives,
might go up at any moment. When sew
eral minutes had passed without their
fears being realized the people cautiously
advanced to the scene of the explosion.
The wreckage was found to be on fire and
burning iercely. The most timid of those
present, seeing in this new danger-there
being possibility that the flames might
spread to the storage houses again fed
Found the Injured Men.
The others, however, ran out the COM
pany's fire apparatus and water from the
lake was used to fight the fire. In short
time the flames were under control. and
then the wreckage scattered about was
overhauled for the purpose of finding the
men who had been at work in the build
fngs. Within q few minutes two men
were found, both badly injured. The roll
OF the companys employees was then called
and it was found that seven men were
missing. These men were undoubtedly
dead. and search was begun for their
bodies. The searchers were mostly old
employees of the company and knew that in
a case like the present one it was useless
TO search among the ruins that still re-
manned where the buildings had stood
Gathered Up "A Mass of Flesh.
They found pieces of flesh and homes
scattered over several acres of ground.
After several hours work the searchers
had succeeded in gathering about $50
pounds of mangIed flesh and bones, which
Is all that remains of the dead men. The
caused of the explosion is not known, and
o representative of the company on the
scene said it would be impossible to ascer-
tain it.