The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-09
PETERSBURC'S EXPLOSION.
Three Hearts Found in One Place and
a Head in Another.

A Girl Running From the Building
Jumps Into the River and Narrowly
Escapes Drowning-The Funerals of
the Victims - Appropriate Resolu-
tions Passed by the City Counoil-A
Mass Meeting Held by the Citizens.
Petersburg, Va, April s.-The deadly
explosion at the fireworks factory Of G.
N. Romaine & Bros, in Blaudford yes
terday afternoon, and the great sac
riice of life, has been the theme
of conversation here to-day. Special
reference was made to the
catastrophe in all of the churches to-day,
both white and colored, and the most
touching prayers were offered for the be-
reaved families. The funerals of c. N
Romaine, John B. Bland, James Rowland
and Robert Rowland two brothers, James
Perkins and Edward Taylor, all victims
of the explosion, took place
to-day and very largely at
tended. The scene at the ceme-
terry was sad one. The funerals of
Messrs Romaine and Bland, members of
the city council, were attended by the
council in body. The funeral of Capt.
James T. Tosh will take place on Tuesday
morning from Grace Episcopal church.
He leaves widow with twelve children.
ANOTHER DEATH.
John F. Harris, another victim of the
explosion, died this afternoon.
This morning another dead body was
found near the river bank, but it could
not be identified The poor fellow had
been hurled through the air and carried a
distance of several hundred yards, A
jawbone, with the teeth, was found to-day
half mile from the scene OF the explo-
sion.
Three hearts and quantitity of bones
of human beings were found in the debris.
They were placed In box and buried
One Of the female operatives in the fire.
works factory when the second explosion
occurred became so frantic with
fright that she rushed from the
building and ran to tho river bank
and jumped into the stream, and would
have been drowned but for boatman,
who happened to be coming up the river
at the time, in boat and rescued her.
HEAD FOUND.
The head of James Perkins was found
this morning some distance from the
scene of the explosion,
Had the explosion occurred half an
hour later a hundred or more persons
would have been killed instead of twelve,
as the hands of the works were about TO
be paid off.
DR.. H. G. Leigh, the coroner, held an
inquest to-day, and good deal of testi-
mony was heard. Pending the examina-
tion of witnesses an adjournment was had
to l o'clock.
The condition of Chief Engineer T.. V.
Farley is very critical, and it is not
thought he can recover.
To-day at noon a special meeting of the
city council was held, and appropriate
action taken on the death of Messrs.
Romaine and Bland, members of that
body.
MEETING OF CITIZENS.
This afternoon at O'Clock, pursuant
to the call of the mayor, a mass meeting
of the citizens was held in the corporation
court room to take such appropriate
measures Of sympathy and relief as tho
sad and extraordinary occasion re-
quired. There was a very
large attendance of Petersburg's
most prominent citizens, including the
ministers Of the different churches.
Mayor Collier presided and the meeting
was opened with prayer by Rev. Fl. w
Battle, d. d., pastor of the First Baptist
church. Over 81, 800 was contributed at
this meeting. The city council will be
asked to contribute to the relief fund
and 1t is expected TO make the fund
$4,000.
BY the destruction of the fireworks Of
9. N. Romaine & Bros. and the tobacco
factory of Bland Bros, & Wright, aG
least 300 people are thrown out Of en-