The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-07-28
EXPLOSION HORROR.
FOUR WOMEN AND TWO MEN VIC
TINS OF POWDER.

A Narrowing scene--Ma Tangled Bodies
strew the around--A Young Wife Killed
by Her Husbands Side,
Four women and two men were
killed Wednesday at New Haven,
Conn, by an explosion in the loaiing
department at the armory Of the Win.
chester Repeating Arms company.
Five others vera taken to the hospital
badly wounded. The dead are: vii.
liam +. Banner, Mrs. Mary Banner,
Miss Jennie Banner, Miss Ida Brown.
William Hill and Miss Tracy Conroy.
Fatally injured: George Bardof, Ed.
ward Bardof.
TIE explosion occurred in ths load
ing room. E nployed in this room
we're $50 hands, two!thirds OF them
girls and women. Nearly all of the
female hands are employed on the
loading machines, each Of which re.
quires three operators. The full com.
plement of hands was at work inthe
when the explosion took place.
Forty feet of the side OF the building
Vas blown out and hurled many fest
and fragments Of human bodies were
scattered 10 a %sickeniug manner. A
hurry call was sent for all avsilable
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 begun.
Harrow wing scenes were Witnessed
as the vast throng congregated about
the place. As rapidly as psssible the
injured we're cared for. In two in
stances the suffering of the wounded
was frightful. Oae was partially dis
emboweled.
AS rapidly as a victim was seen to
bs alive, the sufferer was tenderly
cared for, made as comfortable as poa-
sible and conveyed with all possible
speed to his home. Two OF the bodies
had bsen decapitated. Others had
been partially torn asunder, and still
others had bsen dismembered. The
officials of the company expended
every effort to assist in the work OF
relief.
Perhaps the saddest scene was en-.
acted when John Banner learned that
his wife was among the dead. He
lived in Hampden and had been but
recently married. At the time OF the
explosion he was at work q few feet
distant fron his wife. Mary Baumer
vas but 16 years old and had bsen
in the factory but three weeks. She
was married a little over a month ago
and she and her husband, Fritz, used
adjoining machines. The girl was
blown fully so feet and so crushed out
of shape that it was almost impossible
to identify her. The husband, curl.
ously enough, was apparently blowa
with the same force and by the same
blast, and yet he is one OF the least
seriously injured. He struck the
ground but a few feet short OF his
| wife.
The explosion did not cause any
fire, and the fire department confined
its efforts to aiding in the work OF Q
lief. Toe cause of the explosion has
not been determined and perhapst q
cause may never be known. Some OF
those at work in the room at the time
say it was due to thu fact that q cart.
ridge in process of loading had been
improperly placed in the machine.
OF the injured, those able to talk
re member nothiag, except = binding
fash. Some did not even hear the ex-
piosion. Tue two Bardorf boys, work.
ing side by side, were thrown at g
tangent out oae side OF the building.
Tnay struck the ground 30 feet away.
They geres1crushed and aaaugled that
thay viii die. Edward Blair, work.
ing 10 fest away at his machine was
sent upward through the roof. He
fell on al ash heap with broken bones
iaad y frac,ursd skull and his legs
twisted out If shape. The doctors say
hs, TOO, will die. Edward Bardorf
died after being taken 10 the hospital.
Ida Bso4a, one Of those killed out
right, cana from Detroit, Mich, IN
which city her parents live. L. IT..
Bennett, president OF the company,
said: We nave been running auto
matte loading machines for something
more than % years. and this is the
FIRST time thai any one has bsen
! iured in their use. Since the adoption
of those machines We nave had no &C.
c;dent in the use of black gunpow.
tder."
Mr.. Bennett expressed the belief
that through tne carsiessnsss OF an
operator or tbs powder boy, the ma.
chine that exploded had been over.
| charged.