The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-06-03
Special pt.na,eh 10 d, In,e!lt1ne,,.

PARKERsnURG. W.. Va, Juno Par
korsburg mover had such an exciting
sccno In hor history rs sho had last
evening, resulting from tho explosion
oi boat load OF nitro.gl ycerino on the
Littlo kanavha river opposite tho Par.
kersburg Mill Compuny's plant. Many
marvellous reports havo been scnt out
about tho damage dono aud the loss OF
life. but tho sober, cool facts aro that
one man was blown out Of existence
and tho financial loss Ia probably about
$4,000. although tho amount can only
DO estimated roughly.
Nearly all OF tho fne plate glass win.
dows in tho city were broken. besides
hundreds OF common windows, tho
streets being covered vita shattered
glass. Nearly every store has Ito win.
dows boarded up to-day.
Tho steamer Heatheringeon, lying IN
the mouth OF tho Little knnRwhn, was
badly damaged. Several dwellings
across the Little Kanawha werc caved
in; Kclly's foundry was badly wrecked; !;
damage TO tho extent OF probably $1,000
was done to the Parkersburg Mills, al
though these figures are only approx
mately correct.
Some windows were broken mile
from the explosion. and tho shock wa,
felt for several milos.
THE EXCITEMENT.
The excitement cannot be described.
Some people thought that the end had
come, others thought it was au awful
natural gas explosion. but tho general
report at first was that tho big boilers
at the Parkersburg mill had exploded.
Tho streets were thronged with people
in wild excitement, nobody knowing
for some t!mo what had happened. One
report was that large number o; sm.
ployes at the Parkersburg mill had
been killed.
After some time it was learned that
an unknown man, in tho employ OF
James Hines. OF Petroleum, wns taking
tifty-Gve quart cans OF nitro.gIycerine in
little boat from Pittsburgh to Burning
Springs. to bo used in blasting oil wells.
He mad been seen only few minutes
before the accident occurred. OF course
Just how the accident occurred can only
be surmised. There was terrific noise,
q heavy smoke and shock like an
earthquake. One or two very small
pieces OF ilesh have beon found, also n
little piece OF wood, supposed to be n
piece OF one OF the oars. Nothing else
remains OF the man or the boat
Horse, all over town were frightened
and number ran away. Several
women tainted, and man in bath.tub
in barber shop on court SQUARE ran
ont into the stroet without a stitch OF
clothing on him.
FORTUNATE FEATURE.
The remarkable thing about it all ia
that nobody except tho ono man was
seriously hurt, and for this tho whole
town is congratulating itself.
Tho preachers reierred to the catas-
trophe this morning in their prayers
and sermons. and tho State Journal last
evening got cut an extra and sold them
iaster than thoy could print them, sell.
ing thousand in less than an hour.
All OF the windows in st. Navier's
Catholic church were broken and mos,
OF those in tho Methodist church. The
store windows arc boarded up and the
broken glass is piled in tho streets.
Those arc but samples Of tho general
destruction about the city.
Ono or two small fires broke out in
the vicinity OF the explosion. but were
soon ex,inguishod by the fro depart
ment and the Parkersburg Mill Com
pany's own department.