The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-03-24
LIKE DYNAMITE.
Flour Dust Exploded by a Loco
motive Spark.
An Immense Flour Mill is Blown Out
of Existence.
An Explosion Which Shook All LitchheId,
Ill, and surrounding Country-Build-
tngs Wrecked and Damaged About "A
the Town-Thousands Are Lost.

LITCHFIELD, Ill, March 22.-At 1896
Tuesday morning fire was discovered
in the big Keller Touring mill, in this
place, and despite the efforts of the EN-
ployes. it quickly spread throughout
the building. In less than twenty min
utes the flames were beyond control
While the employees and firemen were
fighting the flames terrific explosion
caused by -four dust, occurred, and the
immense structure was blow to frag
ments.
John Cowie. the head millwright, liv
ing at Waterloo, N. Y, was instantly
killed, and several employees were seri
ously injured. The explosion wrecked
nearly every business place in the vii
1age. Many persons were badly hurt
by flying bricks and falling timbers
The damage to the mill alone will reach
$1,000, 600, and other property was dam
aged over 100000.
The shock was felt in the adjoining
villages of Clyde, Butler, Gillespie and
Hillsboro In many of these places the
conclusion was so great that plate.
glass windows were broken When the
fire started the citizens were awakened
by the ringing of fire bells, and before
many of them could dress they were
stunned by the terrific shock of the ex.
plosion and the next moment found the
walls of their homes falling upon them.
The fire is supposed to have originated
by spark from passing locomotive
falling in one of the dust rooms
Those already known to be badly In.
jured by flying glass and timber are:
Mrs. Reichode, Mrs. p. Lynch, John
Donohue, Joseph Neuther and John
Kaveney.
: Their injuries are severe, but will not
prove fatal.
The fire was discovered by the night
lwatchman in the branroom of the flour
mill He ran to a hydrant. but the water
pipes did not work properly, and in an
instant the flames spread to adjoining
rooms. In less than two minutes the
flames reached the -four rolling room,
and the explosion of flour dust fol-
lowed.
The night watchman was hurled
Through window and badly injured
Millwright Cowie was stunned by the
shock, and, unable to escape, he was
burned to death. The immense building
tottered for second, and fell in heap
of blazing timbers.
The flames leaped across small pas
sage-way and ignited two large grain
elevators In the elevators were stored
20, 900 barrels of flour and 200, 900 bush
els of wheat The fremen were driven
back by the intense heat, and in less
than half an hour the elevators and
their contents were total loss.
Several small buildings adjacent to
the elevators were burned. The shock
of the explosion was heard twenty-five
miles away and window-glass was
broken and chimneys blown down in
towns ten miles distant.
Nearly every house in radius of two
blocks from the mill was badly
wrecked. All the plate glass in the
stores on Main and State streets were
blown out
The flour mills and elevators were
owned by Kehlor Bros, OF St. Louis.
About forty small dwelling houses
were wrecked and many others slight
ly damaged. The Wabash railroad
tracks run between the flour mill and
elevators, and are covered with debris
for distance of three hundred feet