The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-05

der company, at Moosic, on Saturday.
The barrel mill, which stood contigu-
GUS to the Spring Brook creek and WAS
isolated from the rest OF the buildings
a distance, perhaps, Of 15O yards. was
blown to atoms. In this mill the three
ingredients, charcoal, sulphur and
soda, are put through the preliminary
process in the manufacture Of blasting
powder. Cylindrical vessels contain
the mixture, which is 'churned" until,
to use technical phrase the charge
is ready to bs dumped Ordinarily.
while the evolution of these ingredi-
ents into powder is going on, the stuff
is not considered dangerously combus
tible.
Twenty minutes before the explosion
happened Foreman George II. Pearl,
one Of the most experienced powder
workers in the country. on his rounds
visited the powder mill. Everything
appeared to be in perfect working or
der, nor was there ought portentious
Of the impending catastrophe. After
he left the place the three men regu-
larly employed there. Wesley Stanton.
Archie Dymoud and William Koppf,
all sober and trusted employees, repaired
TO the engine room, which was annexed
to the barrel" mill, to eat their mora.
ing lunch. Koppf finished his before
the other two and started on an errand
to the press mill, some distance away.
A TERRIFIC SHOCK,
He was hardly hundred yards from
the spot when the mill exploded and
the terrific shock threw him 10 the
ground.
The destruction Of the barrel mill
was complete. To look at the founda-
tion walls one would he reminded of
the site Of II large dwelling that had
been burnei down dozen years prior,
not even an ember remaining. The
coping stones Of the walls were tumblsd
in the inclosed area in a conglomerate
heap, blackened and crumbling. The
| building was frame one built three
years ago, now all debris, and
scattered within radius of two hun
dred feet, would not make a good
sizsd wood pile. Part of the engine
bed remains the rest of the machinery
is strewn promiscuously about the
yard in all sizes from shingle nail to
a ton beam.
About ten feat away from the engine
room Wesley Stanton and Archie Dy-
moud were blown by the concussion.
Right through the left breast, piercing
his lung and protruiing at the base of
uis shoulder blade. like an arrow went
a pointed hemlock splinter about two
feet long and broadening to the thick
ness Of the end Of base ball bat.
Dymond was seriously bruised. Both
men escaped the flying machinery,
which travelled with the deadly propuI.
sion Of battering rams.
FIREMAN wEIR's HORRIBLE DEATH,
Thomas Weir, fireman, in build.
| ing fully $50 yards from the scene of
the explosion. was reading Saturday +
TRIBUNE The shock snapped the
steam pipe and tho heavy equalizer
fell upon his head, crushing the parel-
tai bone of the skull Death resulted
instantaneously. The escaping steam
poured down in volumes upon him, but
its fury WAS cheated; his spirit had
I I
aged mother, whose worst fears were
realized, appeared quickly on the acene.
The flood of grief that seemed to rsnd
n separate heart string with every
surge, filled the beholders with pity
and dismay. A large cortege attended
the transfer Of Weir's remains TO his
late happy home.
Wesley Stanton was tenderly lifted
and borne to his home opposite tbs
Office. Physicians were summoned ant
DR.. Weston, of Taylor, soon arrived
The splinter was removed from hi
breast and morphine was administered
to relieve his pain. DR.. n. Y, Leet ar
rived on the l,2O p. m. train on tht
Delaware and Hudson railroad am
hurried to examine the sufferer. HI
was still strong, but his vitality wa
slowly ebbing away.
Dymonds arm was fractured and ht
was otherwise badly bruised, but tn,
physicians fear no fatal results unless
his internal system suffered from shock
Stanton was 2j years old. He wa
married not long ago to Miss Cool
baugh, whose brother was killed il
the explosion that occurred on Apri
10, 1892, making the second loss to tn
family within two years. Thomas
Weir resided in Stsrk's Patch. H
was about 29 years old and leaves
widow and two children, the elder o
which is not yet three years old, by
mond, aged about q years, is unmlr
ried, and boards in O.d Forge,
PRESIDENT BoIEs ARRIVES.
Colonel II. NJ. Boies, of this city
president of the company, reached tn,
mills short time after the explosion
He summoned medical aid, nurses, an
ordered all the other necessary clinica
appliances
- The superintendent, Benjamin
Hutcbins. is travelling 10 tho south 70
l bis health. His splendid conservatOr
and hot house was utterly demolished
and the windows in his resdsnc
broken. There is not building il
Moosic free from the shock. Passing
through the town one would think b,
looking at the houses that they wer,
all deserted
The store of John McCrindle stocke
with nearly $40 600 worth OF groceries
presented the appearance of what
cyclone could do to it. Patent msdi
r cines, OF which there was probably
few hundred dollars worth, orashe
from the shelves and every bottle wa
broken. The shelving topplsd from it
o fastening and the plastering bestrawe
J tho floor The Moosic depot OF tn
9 Delaware and Hudson Railroad com
pany was without window pane O
I skylight McCrindle's home wa
! minus windows, several shutters an
: outside ornaments. Altemus hot,
= had the plate glass windows in frou
entirely demolished. The Presbyteris
= church suffered the loss of fe
stained glass windows. There was M
l a single building in the village intac
In some of the houses the stoves wei
o upset.
WHAT CAUSED 1T.
The Gauss Of the explosion will prol
ably never be known The suppositio
= : that some part Of tbs machinery gav