Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-07-22
BLOWN TO ATOMS.
Explosion in the Winchester
Arms Works, New Haven.
Six Are Killed, Two Men and -Four
Women, and Others viii Die.
Horrible Scenes in Ruins -niraculous Eseaeo
si Scores ei People.

| New raven, Conn.,, July 21.-The
worst explosion since the establishment
of the Winchester Repeating Arms
company in this city took place at the
armory of this concern, about 3 O'Clock
| this morning. Six persons were in
| stantly killed: two more fatally in
jurcd; and at least a dozen were more
| or less seriously hurt.
| The explosion occurred in that de-
| partment which is known as the load
ing room. Employed in this room were
$50 hands, about 100 of whom were girls
and women. Nearly all Of the female
| hands are employed on what are
known as the loading machines. Thes..
| machines are so constructed as 70 re-
| qure three operators. The receptacle
holding the powder has capacity of
one pound of the explosive, and as
fast as the powder Is exhausted a DOW
der boy replenishes the supply.
In an instant the air was filled with
shrieks and agonizing cries. Forty
feet Of the side of the building was
blown out and hurled in pieces some
distance away. The air was filled with
flying debris and fragments of human
bodies We're scattered in a sckening
manner.
The immediate scene of the explosion
presented a sickening sight Machin-
ry, wood, bricks and other debris were
everywhere and in the midst of ii all
We're found pieces. large and small.
| recognizable and otherwise, of quiver-
ing human flesh. 1t was a sight which
caused the strongest man to falter and
draw back.
As rapidly as possible the injured
We're cared for. In two instances the
suffering of the wounded was frightful.
One of the victims who had not been
killed. was partially disemboweled. AS
rapidly as victim was seen to be alive.
the mutilated being was tenderly cared
for. made as comfortable as possible
and dispatched with all possible speed
homeward. ii he or she could give the
address or was recognized by friends,
and to the hospital or else where, il not.
Two of the bodies had been decapitat-
ed. Others had been partially torn
asunder. and still others had lost arms.
legs and other portions of their bodies.
AT length the investigation reached a
point where Medical Examiner White
informed the newspaper men who were
on the scene. that six had been instant
ly killed. two fatally injured, and sew
eral others more or less hurt.
The officials of the company ex-
pended every effort to assist in the
work of relief They caused to be
rounded up so far as was possible,
those of their employees who were in
the immediate vicinity of the expulsion.
Those who had lost friends could not
be controlled, but at noon it was be-
lieved that all of the dead had been
found.
The fellow wOrkmen and workwomen
OF the victims We're quivering with ex-
citement. Some of them were burned
by the binding fash. some were
stunned by flying wreckage and all
were frightfully wrought up.
Perhaps the saddest scene was en-
acted when John Baumeister learned
that his wife was among the dead. He
lived in Hamden and had been but re-
Gently married. At the time of the ex-
plosion he was at work but a few feet
distant from his wife.
The bodies of the dead were tempor-
arily removed to the morgue of Lewis
4 Maycock, where Medical Examiner
White will complete the Investigation.
The explosion did not cause a fire.
and the fire department confined its
efforts to aiding in the work of relief
An examination of the building showed
that the damage was not great. The
interior was somewhat badly wrecked.
and 40 feet of one side were carried
away.
me cause of the explosion has not
been determined and perhaps it's cause
may never be known. Some of those
at work in the room at the time saw
that 1t was due to the fact that a cart
ridge in process of loading had been
improperly placed in the machine. 1t
IS not even definitely known in lust
which machine the explosion occurred.
An explosion in any of the main de-
partments at Winchesters is an I'M
usual thing. Extraordinary precautions
are taken and the company's officials
are careful to an extreme, almost in
thelr enorts to preclude the possibility
or disaster. Usually explosions oc-
eur In the little mound houses where
put one man is stationed for the pre-
paration of powder for use
Following is the official list of dead.
julius Borman, single, II, powder
boy.
Josephine Brennan. orphan, Is, ma
chine operator.
Mrs. Nellie Baumeister. married, 16.
parents reside in Brooklyn, N. Y, ma
chine operator.
Ida Brown, married parents reside In
Detroit, Mich, machine operator.
Theresa Connolly. single, IS, 16. ma
chine operator
Walter Hill, Is, powder bow.
Edward Rnvdof v,bc
The hospital died this afternoon. He
was a machine operator.
Ine money loss caused by the ex-
plosion is estimated to be about 5000 to
the machinery and 5000 to the build-
ing.