Evening journal., 1893-12-19
Another Workman Killed
at the Big Powder Mills.
THE EXPLOSION WAS HEARD
All Over Wilmington and the
Sur TOundin g Comfy.

Blown Into a Thousand Pieces-Flesh
and Bones From the Poor Fellow Now
Being Picked From Rocks in the Bran
dywine aud Placed in Cans and Bags for
the Inquest Other Mills Were BADLY
Damaged and the Rolling MN in which
the Explosion Occurred Was Blown In
Fragments.
white cloud Of smoke and heavy
conclusion startled the inhabitants along
the Brandywine creek. near the Hagley
yards Of the E. !. Dupont, de Nemours
Company this morning.
A wife and ten children, who were
never in the bsst of circumstances. are
now left without support The father
was the only man in the mill that was
blown up and only fragments Of his
body can be found.
Wilmington People Alarmed.
sharp report like the booming of a |
cannon, brought Wilmington people into |
the streets twith fear about 1910 o'clock |
this morning Every one had a sugges
tlon ss to the cause Of the report, and
after collecting their senses. they decided
that another one Of the DUPONT powder
mills had blown up. The report was
heard for a humber OF miles out Of the
city.
New Castle, Newark. Media and
number Of other towns in the vicinity
felt the shock plainly.
Description of the Upper Yards.
The upper yard, as it is called, was
he original yard in which the company
commenced work in 1902 It's proper
name is the Eluetherean yard, so named
after the founder Of the firm. II was
grinding mill 3Ox4O feet; magazine
about 25x25 feet and another similar
sized magazine in which powder was
only stored at tines a mixing house
60x30 feet; a soda house; q packing
house; q grinding mill and q coal house
oil were built Of stone, on the same
plan adopted ~ tie frm This pian Is TO
0uild the structure Ike a mortar, so that
only one side would blow out
The yard was engaged IN mauufactur.
ing a high grade Of powder for the gov
ernment, to be used in testing guns 10
Is what is known as hexagonRl grained
powder, and was very powerful.
Sent Into Eternity in an Instant.
Eiward Gallagher left his home at
Free Park, row Of houses about 400
yeards from the Hagley yards, before
o'clock this morning. Some Of his
children were sleeping and others bade
him good bye. but little did they think
that never again would they see him
alive.
Gallagher was the foreman Of the
upper grinding mill, a structure OF about
30 by 40 feet which is built of stone.
He was trusted workman Of the Du
Points and went into the grinding mill
Of the Hagley yard, as was his wont, and
he alone knew what caused the catastro
phe that sent him into eternity in an in
stant
This afternoon men are picking
portions of his flesh and bones from
rocks in the Brandywine, trying TO get
enough of the remains together to hold an
e inquest over.
Only Man Near Gallagher.
. The only other man who had occasion
to 60 In the mill was Gallagher's brother
in law. Daniel Haggerty. HaRgerty was
D ! engaged in hauling dust from the mill
during the morning
Just before the explosion he took a
load out aud was returning, when sud
denly the concussion staggered him.
a He was then within thirty yards of the
D mill Fortunately he escaped without
< any injury. Haggerty was ths last man
to see Gallagher.
The stones and roof Of the mill were
blown into the creek and about the yard
A hole, having the appearance Of vol
y canic eruption, surrounded by broken
iron, stones ard few pieces of wood,
e marks the place where the mill stood
n The rolling mill, next TO the grinding
4 MILL which is separated by tstone wall,
was not damaged. But the roof and the
D sidesof the rolling mill to the south were
badly damaged. The top Of the stone
wall to the north was sha ttered.
All the window glass OF the wheel
n wright shop near by was broken also.
Process Used in This MIL.
In the grinding mill where Gallagher
was. the various sorts Of powder, blast
ing, sporting aud cannon, are separated.
4 From this the powder is taken TO the glaz
q ing mill where it is glazed At the time
n of the explosion there was press" OF
a sporting FFF, powder about 1900
o pounds, in the grinding machines.
lie What Caused the Explosion.
\ The dead man carried the secret Of the
cause of the explosion to eternity, as he
alone knew. Old men, in the vicinity,
who have worked many years in the
q. works, said this morning to an EVENING
Ia JOURNAL reporter, that the only way they
could account for the explosion was the
breaking of some part Of the machinery
A. which would cause friction, and to this
n they attributed the cause.
"A Immediately after the explosion, anc
as soon as the smoke had cleared
"a away, wOrkmen were ordered to cleal
ae the debris There was only one report
Search was made at once for the bod
Of Gallagher. Small pieces Of flesh wer'
gathered from the rocks in the Brandy.
wine. by means of two small sticks. an'
" placed in cans by some workmen, whil
vi others gathered the pieces OF flesh the.
I'd could find and put them in oTdinar
IL sacks