Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-07-22
DEATH IN A POWDER HOUSE
Employees Hurled Through Space
by a Mighty Force.
FIVE OF THEM ARE DEAD
Ind Others viii Probably Die or Be Crippled
for Life.
MISPLACED CARTRIDGES DID THE WORK
Walls Hurled Aside Like Chaff in Wind
Storm-Two of the Dead When
Found Were Decapitated
Scene of Distress.

New Haven, Conn, July 21.-An ap-
pallng accident occurred this morni g in
the shell loading department of thz Win
ch-1ter Repeat ting Fire Arms company.
Without an instant's warning six human
beings lost their lives by an explosion
ara another victim died soon after at
the hospital. A score of victims were
more or less seriously Injured. but no
mere fatalities are expected. More than
140 men and women are employed in the
loading department, and that more fatali-
ties did not result from the consussion is
miraculous.
The hundreds of people who gathered
about the gates Immediately after the
explosion witnessed a gruesome sight
Six dead bodies. blackened with powd
I'D frightfully mangled almost beyond
recognition, were lying on the floor
Nearby two injured men were writhing
in agony and all about were men running
with thstr faces and arms bleeding from
shot wounds, unmindful of their injuri s.
but trying to assist others and quell the
confiagration. Many others were in
fainting condition, and it was believed
many of them were injured and there was
great feeling for relief, but it was found
that they were mostly uninjured
The dead are:
WILLIAM BAUMER
MRS. MARY BAUMEISTER.
MISS JOSIE BRENNAN. ~
MISS IDA BROWN.
WILLIAM HILL.
TRACY CONROY.
Fatally injured: George Bardera, Ed
ward Bardera.
The explosion occurred in the loading
room. Nearly all of the female hands
are employed on the loading machines.
The full compliment of hands was at
work in the room when the explosion took
place Forty feet of the side of the
building was blowing out and hurled in
pieces many feet and fragments of bodies
were scattered in a sickening manner
A hurry call was sent for all available
physicians. The fire department, the
police, the ambulance and hospital corps
were speedily summoned and the work
of caring for the dead and injured was
bsgur. narrowing scenes were wit
messed. and vast throngs congrcgated
about the place. AS rapidly as possible
the Injured were cared for In two in
stances the suffering Of the wounded
was frightful. One vNs partially dis
emboweled.
As rapidly as a victim was seen to be
alive, the sufferer was tenderly cared
for, made as comfortable as possible and
taken with all possible speed to his
home. Two of the bodies had been de-
capitated. Others had been partially
torn asunder and still others had been
partially disemboweled. The officers of
the company put forth every effort to
assist in the care of the wounded
Perhaps the saddest scene was whsn
F, Baumeister learned that his wife was
among the killed. He lived at Hampton
and had been married but recently He
was at work but a short distance from his
wife. Mrs. Mary Baumeister was but IS
years of age, and had been in the factory
but three weeks She was married
month ago, ard she and her husband US d
adjoining machines. The girl was blown
fully fifty feet. and so crushed out of
shape that it is almost impossible to
identify her.
The husband. curously enough, was
apparently blown with the, same force
and by the same blast and yet he is one
of the less seriously injured. He struck
the ground but few feet short of his
wife.
The explosion did not start any fire. and
the fire department confined its work to
that of relief. The cause of the explo-
sion has not been learned and perhaps
it's exact cause will never be known.
Some of those at work in the department.
at the time said that cartridge in pro-
cess of loading had been Improperly
who are able to talk only remember a
blirI1ing flash, others only heard the ex-
plosicn.
Two boys were blown side by side out
of the window and will probably die
Edward May, who was working short
distance away. was blown through the
roof. His skulg was fractured and his.
legs twisted out of shape. The doctors
say he too. will die. Edward Bardsra
died after being taken to the hospit1l
do Of ;ob
came from Detroit, Mich. at which city
her parents reside.
President Bennett of the company,
said: 1--WE have been running al.tom tic
loading machines for something like
twenty years. and this is the first xcci-
dent that has occurred in their use. Since
the adoption of the machines We have
had no accident in the use of black gun
powder
ALMOST A CDNTENARIAN.
San Diego, Cal, July 2.-Mrs. Lovey
l..tz - 41.