The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-21
GUNPO POWDER HORROR
Six People Blown to Atoms
in the Winchester Arms
Co. Works. New
Haven.
WOMEN AND BOY VICTIMS
Several Persons Horribly In
jured Besides-Loadin
Machine Did It.
HEART sIcKENING DEBRIS.
Dreadful Scene About the Ruins
Money Loss Only $4,000
Extreme Precautions
We're Valn.

NEW HAVEN. Conn. July 2i. 1S97.-The
worst explosion, since the establishment
of the. Winchester Repeating Arms Com
pany. in this city, took place at the ar
mory of this concern this morning. Six
persons Were instantly. killed, two were
fatally injured. and at least dozen, more
or less seriously hurt. The list of dead
as given out by the police and medical
examiner, includes:-William F. Banner,
Mrs. Mary Baumeister, Miss Josie Bren-
man. Miss Ida Brown, William Hill and
Miss Tracey Conroy.
Fatally injured:-AGeorge Bardorf and
Edward Bardorf.
The explosion occurred in that depart
ment which is known as the loading room.
Employed in this room were $50 hands,
about one hundred of which were girls
and women. Nearly all of the female
hands are employed on what are known
as the loading machines. These ma
chimes are so constructed as to require
three operators. - receptacle holding
the powder has capacity of one pound
of the explosive and as fast as the
powder is exhausted a powder boy re-
plenishes the supply
It was about $50 o. clock this morning
when the fearful explosion occurred. The
full complement of hands was at work
in the room. OF sudden and without
warning deafening explosion took place.
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 many feet. The
air was filed with flying debris and frag-
rr1ents of human bodies were scattered in
a sickening manner.
Every employee in the mammoth plant
as well as residents in. that section was
only too familiar with this sort Of thing
and operations were instantly suspended.
Enormous crowds fiocked to the scene.
A hurry call was sent for all available
physicians, the fire department the
police, the ambulances and hospital corps,
were speedily summoned, and the work of
caring for the dead and injured was be-
gun.
Narrowing scenes were enacted as the
vast throng congregated about the place,
and the details of the awful disaster be-
came known. The news that an explosion
of unwonted proportion had taken place
at Winchesterss caused the place to be-
come the mecca for thousands In the
crowd terror stricken persons were to be
seen flying about, ealing frantically for
news of their friends.
The constant arrival of the always
dreaded ambulance, the large detail of
the police, the fire department and as
many of the cityss physicians as could
be reached added to the confusion.
The police hnally were compelled to
adopt stringent methods to hold in con-
troll the crowd. AS soon as the turmoil
was quieted to degree. a systematic
investigation was begun. Not until
then was the extent of the fearful trag-
edy apparent The immediate scene of
the explosion presented a sickendng sight.
Machinery, wood, bricks and other
debris was everywhere, and in the midst
q IL all were found pieces, large and
small, recognizable and otherwise, of
Quivering human flesh. 1t was a sight
which caused the strongest man to falter
and draw back.
AS rapidly as possible the injured were
cared for. In two instances the suffering
of the wounded was frightful One of
the victims who had not been killed was
partially disemboweiled. AS rapidly as
a victim was seen to be alive the mutil-
ated being was tenderly cared for, made
as comfortable as possible and despatched
with all possible speed to his home, if he
Ould give his address or was recognized
81 friends and to the hospital or else
Thers + 1nirsd not With tie work Of caring
opportunity then allowed the effort to
ascertain the extent of the fatalities was
inaugurated.
At first report had it that four persons
had been killed, hut as the Investigation
proceeded it was found that it was worse
Than that and slowly the tn poiice, the ply
aminer gathered the remains of six per-
sens.
Two Of the bodies had been decapitated.
and still others had lost arms. legs and
other portions of their bodies. At length
the =, investigation IN, ys rsached ache point where
newspaper men who were on the scene
that six had been Instantly killed, two
fatally injured, and several Others more
or less hurt, and he gave out the list of
dead, as given above.
The officials of the company expended
heg o as so u e ne roSdea w1rf a Of
far as was possible. those of their en-
ployes who were in the immediate vicin-
frends could Rot Be- nfu but loat
had been found
fellow workmen sof the victims were
hs We're snr sy the eindns s aasR r.
ana s al sss we're rshtfuiiy wTonght HSg up Per
haps the saddest scene was enacted when
John Baurneister learned that his wife
was among the dead. He lived in Ham
den and had BEEN but recently married.
At the time of the explosion he was at
work but few feet distant from his
wife
The bodies of the dead were tempo
rarily removed to the Morgue of Lewis &
Maycock, where Medical Examiner White
The explosion did not cause fire and
the fire department confined its efforts to
aiding in the work of relief. An examin-
alton of the building showed that the
damage was not great The interior was
somewhat badly wrecked and, as stated
above, forty feet of one side were carried
away.
The causeof the explosion has not been
determined and, perhaps. it's cause may
never be known. Some Of those at work
due to the fact tt1at ascartridge in process
& loading had been improperly placed in