The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-07-22

NEW HAVEN Comm, July 21.-An
appalling accident occurred this morn
ing in the shell loading department of
the Winchester Repeating Firearms
Company. Without an instanta
warning six human beings lost their
lives by an explosion and another vic
tim died soon afterwards at the hospi-
tai. A score of others were more or
less seriously injured, but no further
| fatalities are anticipated
More than $50 men and women ara
employed in the loading department,
ana that more fatalities did not result
from the explosion is miraculous
The hundreds of people who gathered
about the gates Immediately after the
explosion witnessed a gruesome sight,
Six dead bodies, blackened with DOW
der and frightfully mangled, almost be-
yond recognition, were lying on the
floor. Near by two injured men were
writhing in agony, and all about were
men running with their faces and arms
bleeding from shot wounds unmindfuI
of their injuries, but trying to assist
the injured and quell the confusion.
Owing to the number of girls who were
carried out in a fainting condition. it
seriously injured, and there was a
great feeling of relief when it was
found that in most cases they were
unframed
NEW HAVEN, July 21.-Seven peo-
pie lost their lives to-day by an ex-
plosion in the loading department of
the armory of the Winchester Repeat
ing Arms Company. Two men and
four women were killed outright, one
man so badly hurt that he died short
ly after another fatally, and at least
dozen seriously injured
The dead are: William F. Banner,
Mrs. Mary Baumeister, Miss Josie
Brennan, Miss Ida Brown, William
Hill, Miss Tracy Conroy and Edward
Barderoff
Fataly~injured: George Bardereff.
The explosion occurred in the load
1ng-room Employed in this room were
100 hands, two-thirds of them girls
and women. Nearly all of the female
hands are employed on the loading ma
chimes. The full complement Of
hands was at work in the room when
the explosion took place Forty feet
of the side of the building was blown
out and fragments of human bodies
We're scattered in every direction.
All available physicians, the fire de-
partment, the police, the ambulance
and hospital corps were speedily sum-
moned.
narrowing scenes were enacted as
the vast throng congregated about the
place. The victims who were alive
were made as comfortable as possibls
and conveyed with all possible speed to
their homes. Two of the bodies had
been decapitated. Others had been par
tally torn asunder and still others
had been dismembered. The Winches-
ter Company aided in every way to
perfect relief
John Baumeister was but recently
married. AT the time of the explosion
he was at work but few feet from his
wife, who was killed.
The cause of the explosion has not
been determined. 1t may have been
due to cartrigde improperly placed in
the loading machine.
Edward Barderoff died after being
taken to the hospital
Ida Brown, one of those killed. came
from Detroit Mich
t. B. Bennett, President of the COM
pany. said: I'VE have been running au-
tomato loading machines for more than
twenty years, and this is the first time
that any one has been injured in their
use. Since the adoption of these ma
chimes we have had no accident in the
use of black gunpowder''
Mr.. Bennett expressed the belief that
through the carelessness of the opera
tor or powder boy the machine that ex-
ploded had been overcharged