Evening journal., 1897-12-17

Adele. who was in the carriers dress
ing-room changing his uniform for his
street clothes, was knocked down. Win
dows were broken and chairs and
tables scattered in all directions.
Cries of fire rent the air, and Carriers
Sasse and Scheu ran off the fire hose
hanging in the post office and hurried
to the cellar, where the fire seemed to
be. Dense volumes of smoke at first
drove them back, but they fought their
way to the west end Of the building.
An alarm of fire was sent in and the
district engines responded.
A CHASTITY SIGHT.
On the floor of the cellar in a pool of
black water lay the body Of Cooper,
with the top of his head blown Off. He
was picked up and carried to the small
grass lawn in front Of the post office,
from where he was taken to the Della
ware Hospital in the patrol wagon. He
died at $50 O'Clock.
EXCITEMENT WAS INTENSE.
Excitement relgned supreme around
the Federal building and it grew in
tense when it was said that Mcintyre
and McNulty were yet in the ruins.
A Gordon of police under Captain
Chambers had a hard battle with the
crowd. which lined the sidewalks and
pressed into the cellar to see the de
vastation wrought by the explosion. Af-
ter the cellar had been cleared Of the
smoke an investigation as to the cause
was made, but everything was clothed
in mystery. The story is locked in
Cooper's dead breast.
The force Of the explosion rent the
| head of the generator tank in twain.
The hopper was forced from its bear
ing, and the top of it was found lying
under the water pipes of the main tank
| One edge was covered with blood.
showing how it had embedded itself in
the head of Cooper. The hopper cover
| ing struck the unfortunate young man
between the forehead and the nose,
| tearing away the top of his head. The
cellar floor is stained with Cooper's
blood, and his brains were scattered
| about.
The entire ceiling of the cellar is
black with smoke. SO terrific was the
explosion that fumes and smoke pene-
| trated the post office department, court
room, commissioners and clerks Of
fees and the collector Of ports Office
All of the ceilings in these Offices are
blackened.
SADDEST PART OF ALL
The saddest OF all the tragedy was
that the dead man was to have beer
married next week December % was
to have been his wedding day. Mis-.
Eva Carey, a daughter of a well-to-dC
farmer near Cheswold, Del, was hi
promised bride Coopers home wat
also near Cheswold, where his parents
live on a farm. They are well-tO-d'
people.
WOULDN'T BELIEVE 1T.
After young Cooper's life ebbed on
Collector Of Port Cooper sent a dis
patch to the unfortunate mans father
{ notifying him of his sons death. Al
) ! was gay within the little farmhouse
5 and Cooper's mother was busy prepar
ing a few articles that were to be give
to her son at his marriage. When tn
message of death came, not one in tn
r | household would believe the tiding.
[ Mrs Cooper, however, had a premoni
= ton OF ill-boding during the day, an
S ! when the second message was receive
e by the Coopers they became griei
D stricken. s. Brady Cooper, brother Z
= the victim, broke the news to his brC
o TIERS betrothed. She sYooped, -3p
e was hncohscious for more than an hoh
? Aaron Willis, who works at the gr,
S Gerry store at Eleventh and Tatna
j. streets, received a message from Che
d void, asking him to be at the Station I
> meet the Ais train. The brother f,
d Cooper and several others arriyed hei
e at that time. The party was taken
,e the private morgue of Deputy COron,
o Chandler, where the body lay. Prepa
d ations were made to ship the body
i COOper's late home, and the S.13 trai
n this morning carried the body to Il
IS home that was to have been the sceI
OF wedding nuptials.
l. Yesterday afternoon Cooper receive
l. a letter from his betrothed, which to
l. Of the presents that were coming fro
1t relatives and riends. A $40 bill and
Ie collar-buttOn was also in his posse
sion
ID Mr.. and Mrs. J. p. Carey parents
IF COOper's intended bride, gave up the
l. farm and home about two weeks ago
s. remove to near Wilmington, whe
t. young Cooper had rented a house.
sr intended to live together.
10 Young Cooper was a member of Ha
z. mony Council, No. %, Jr. o. u. A.
II of Cheswold, and the lodges here ha
r done everything possible to aid
D. relatives and friends.
ne The post office employees had TAX
90 up a collection to purchase Cooper
re wedding present, and the money W
of now be used to buy a floral piece for /
il casket.
es TO BE INVESTIGATED.
sh An investigator as TO the exa
VS. cause Of the accident will be made up
IS. the arrival of Major Emory S. Turn
agent for the Blanchard Acetyle
Company in Delaware from Washin
ton. Whether the investigation W
he disclose the cause of the explosion
to not known, but it is hardly likely,
on the generator is a wreck.
a The plant is one of the largest
ry use. Collector OF Port Cooper said Il
n morning that nothing would be done
lg. the matter of removing the plant fr,
i'll the building until after the invests
he tion. He will then make a report to I
an Washington authorities and will act
hn inc frfrq rarrsfrrrd