The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-22
ADEATH-DEALlNG EXPLOSION
Four Women and Two Zen Killed,
Others Terribly Injured.
A BUILDING NEARLY BLOWN TO PIECES
The Catastrophe Occurred in the Loading
Room OF the Winchester Arms Com
pany. and Was Due to tho Bursting
ofa Machine-The Victims.

NEW HAVEN, CONN. July 2l.-Four
women and two men were killed to-day by
an explosion In the loading department at
the armory Of the Winchester Repeating
Arms Company. Five others were taken
to the hospital badly injured.
The dead are William f. Baumer, Mrs.
Mary Baumeistcr Miss josie Brennan.
Miss Ida Brown. William Hnl. Miss Tracy
Conroy.
Fatally injured-George Bardorf and
Edward Bardorf.
Tho explosion occurred IN the loading
room. Employed in this room were one
hundred and fifty hands. two-thirds OF
them girls and women Nearly al! OF tho
female hands are employed on the load
ing machines each Of which requires
three operators.
The full complement Of hands was at
work In the room when the explosion
took place Forty feet OF tho side OF tho
building was blown out ana hurled IN
pieces many feet. and fragments OF hu-
man bodies were scattered in "a sickening
manner
CARING FOR THE DEAD.
A hurry call was sent for an 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
begun. Narrowing scenes were witness
ed as the vast throng congregated about
the place As rapidly as possible the IN
jured were cared for. In two instances
the suffering Of the wounded was fright
full As rapidly as n victim was seen 20
be alive the sufferer was tenderly cared
for made as comfortable as possible and
conveyed with all possible speed 10 his
home Two OF the bodies had been de-
capfated Others had been partially
torn nsunder and still others had been
dlsmcmbcred.
The officials Of the company expended
every effort 20 assis, n the work Of re-
lief. Perhaps the saliost scene was cf-
acted when Johr slumeistcr learned that
his wife was among the dead. Ile lived
in Hampdon and had been but recently
married At the time % fthe explosion
he was at work but few feet distant
from bis wife. Mrs. Baumeister was but
sixteen years old and had been IN the fac
tory 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 nifty Feet ana
So crushed ont OF shape that IL WAS al
most impossible to Identify her
Tho husband curlously enough was APP
parently blown with the Same force ana
bv tho same blast. and yet be IS one OF
the least seriously injured. lie struck
the ground but few feet short OF ms
y.ife.
THE CAUSE TNKNOWN.
Tho explosion ala not cause "a Tire. ana
the Fire Department confined its efforts
to aidinl. I'm the work Of relief. The cause
Of the explosion has not been determined
and. perhaps. its cause may never pe
known. some of those at work IN the
room at .ho time say that u was due 20
the fact that cartridge In process OF
loading had been improperly placed pa
the machine. or the injured. tho-e WI"
are able 10 talk remember nothing eN-
cept binding flash. Some did not eve"
hear the explosion.
The two Rardorf boys. working side Nv
side. were thrown a. "a tangent out on
ono side Of the building. Ihey struch
the grmnd thirty feet away.
Edward Blair. working ten feet away
at his machine. was sent Upward through
the roof He fell on an ash heap win
broken bones fnd a fractured skull ana
his legs twisted out Of shape. Ihe doc-
tors say ho. too will die. Edward Bar
dorf died after being taken 10 the hos
pital ...,...
ida Brown. one Of those killed outright
came from Detroit. Mich, In which city
her parents reside.
T. O. Bennett president Of tho COM
nsuv. said: we have been running auto
matte loading machines for something
more than twenty years and This Is the
first time anyone has been injured 10
their use Since the adoption ot those
machines We have had no aceio'ht ih 'he
uso Of black gunpowdcr.
Mr.. Bennett expressed the belief that
through the carclessness Of the operator
or the powder boy the machine that eN-
plodsd had been ovcrcharged.