Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-01-31
POWDER EXPLODES
Section of Country Near Cin-
cinnati Shaken Up.
TWO LIVES LOST BY THE DISASTER.

Wounded -Twenty-three Employees of
the Factory Seriously Cut and Burned,
Several of Them Girls-Buildings Partly
Wrecked by the Shock, Which Brings
Down a Shower of Rain. 40
CINCINNATI, Jan. 31.-Mill creek valley
was shaken yesterday morning by terrific
explosion at DiehPs fireworks factory at
Reading, five miles east of Cincinnati. The
works exploded three years ago on Mount
Adams with serious loss of life. The fac
tory was then moved to Reading. The ex-
plosion occurred at $50 in the morning in
the dry-house of the factory One man
was killed outright and twenty-four men
and women more or less seriously injured.
Henry Horn was the man killed and his
body was burned to a crisp Harry Evans,
foreman, had his knee fractured and was
wounded in the back of the head by an ex-
ploding rocket. His injuries are fatal
Twenty-three Seriously Hurt.
In addition to the above there were TWEEN
ty-three hurt more seriously than the brief
descriptions of their injuries annexed
would seem to indicate in some cases. They
are as follows: Josephine Bret, left side of
face and left ear cut; John bunker, face
badly cut by glass; Charles Frick cut about
the face; Maggie Groh, lip cut and two
front teeth broken out by flying timber;
Theodore Grau, nose broken and serious
confusion of head; Kate Greiner, cut in
back of head and cheeks lacerated: August
Gerneo, hands, face and head badly burned
by powder; Herman Hooper, face cut and
left arm dislOcated at the shoulder: Ellis
Horton, face and head cut by flying glass;
August Miller, right hand crippled and face
cut; Eugene Fine Myer, cut in left tenn
pie, face torn and leg fractured; Kate Nc
Beth, right cheek, temple and head badly
cut by glass; Kate Mott, badly cut about
the face and shoulder; John Mott, cut in
forehead and right side of the head; Billy
Mott, right side of face and head torn by
glass; John Nicely, nose cut, also right
side of head; Ella Moore forehead cut;
Manda Mosher, forehead and face lacerat-
ed; Tillie Mitchell, face burned and right
hand badly torn; Mary Singer, forehead
and top of head badly cut; Mary Shoe
maker, head, face and right hand badly in
jured; Kate Sewick, hands and head
badly cut; |. 5. White, left shoulder dis
located and cut over left eye.
Condition of Horns Body.
The body of Henry Horn was fopnd
among mass of burning paper and wood.
1t was simply a charred mass Horn was
to be married in the near future to young
woman of Reading. Flying glass and
splintering timbers caused most of the in
juries. The loss to the plant, six buildings
of which were completely DESTROYED, was
small. The company, however, was busy
preparing for the summer season and had
already stored up a large stock of fire.
works. The amount of damage to this
cannot be estimated until a careful exam
inatIon is made by the local managers. 1t
Will, however, be between $1,000 and
$4,000
Thought 1t Was Earthquake.
When the explosion occurred great ex-
element was caused in the many towns
surrounding Reading. Houses were
shaken and in many instances windows
were shattered The people supposed that
an earthquake was in progress and rushed
in a frightened manner from their homes
At Hamilton, Middleton and intermediate
stations the shock was clearly felt and in
many instances large plate-glass windows
were broken to pieces. The residence of
ex-Mayor Root, of Reading, was badly
wrecked by the shock and almost the en-
tire plastering of the house came from the
walls
Dyrenfurth indicated.
The explosion caused a heavy rain to come
the aid of the rescuing parties at many Of
the buildings. The girls could not be
reached for some minutes and their faces
at the windows presented thrilling pict-
ure. The flames lit up the sky for miles
and spread the dread information to resi-
dents of the valley. The explosion wrecked
the glass in the windows of the Reading
schoolhouse. and the school had to be dis
missed.