The Monitor-register., 1897-04-02
Isaiah

where he was we'll and favorably known as
a resident in his younger years, was la id
at rest in the Friends cemetery here. He
was a son of Allen Flitcraft, of Chester,
Pa, and brother of William 2. and
Sbipley s. Flitcraft, of our borough, and
was born in 1852. After leaving Bacon
Academy in Woodstown, where he proved
a good scholar, he engaged for some
time in teaching, afterwards he was for
several years in the employ of Sharpless
81 Sons, of Philadelphia, when theirs
was the leading dry goods house in that
city, and commencing at the bottom
round of the ladder il the cou%nting-roOm,
he worked his way up to next to the
highest position within a few years. In
the spring OF 1882, when the Provident
Life and Trust Company of Philadelphia
established its branch Office in Chicago,
Ill, be was offered the position of cashier
and chief accountant. During these
fifteen years, Notwithstanding the general
management of this Office was changed
four different times, his sterling qualities
and fidelity as we'll as integrity of pur-
pose, was 80 thoroughly established that
he continued in this position up 10 the
time of his recent sickness, of two weeks
duration, which eliminated in his death
at his home in Oak Park, near Chicago,
on the Goth ult. The widow of the
deceased aud his brother, Allen ]. Fit
craft, of OAK Park, left Chicago with the
remains on the 305h ult, at II a. M,
arriving in Philadelphia at 10 II p. m.
the next day, coming IN to Woodstown
to the residence of William q. Flitcraft
on that same afternoon. On the follow
ing day, the 1st instant, funeral services
we're held in Friends Meeting house at
Woodstown wv here the deceased was wont
to attend when a boy as a birthright
member of the Religious Society of
Friends, which mem bership continued to
the time of bis death. For several years
past he has been clerk of a meeting of
Friends in Chicago. AT the brief funeral
services held az his late reside zoe in Oak
Park just previous to the departure of
his remains for the East, almost the entire
resident membership of his local home
meeting attended. Jonathan W. Plum
mer, al appointed minister of the society,
and James W. Jauney, both of Chicago,
spoke very feelingly of their personal
knowledge of the purity of character and
life of the deceased.
The following notice from the Chicago
Inter Ocean, of the 30th ult, is an evi
dence of the estimation in which he was
held in that city.
Isaiah Flitcraft, who has been cashier
of the Illinois and Chicago branch agency
of the Provident Lille and Trust Com
paDy, of Philadelphia, for fifteen years,
died at bis home, No. Git Maple avenue,
Oak Park, yesterday morning, of pneu-
monia. Mr.. Flitcraft was born at Woods
town, N. j., January, 1862. For some
time he was assistant chief bookkeeper
in a dry goods honse at Philadelphia.
When the Provident Life and Trust
established a branch Office here in April.
1882, MIR. Flitcraft was appointed cashier,
and although the local management OF
the company has, changed four times, be
has retained his position. He WAS a
faithful, interchangeable worker, a splendid
gentleman, and a man of good business
ability. He was a member of the Life
Under writers' Association of Chicago,
and took a live interest ia it's business.
He was a brother of Mr.. A. j. Flitcraft,
the editor of the Life Insurance Courant
A short service will be held this morning
at 8 O'Clock at Mr.. FlitcrsfJ's late resi-
deuce. The remains will then be taken
over the Pennsylvania to his old home at
Noodstowp, N. j., for interment.
Terrific Explosion of Powder Works.
Shortly after noon last Friday there
was a terrific explosion of nitro glycerine
at the Dupont Powder Mills at Gibbs,
town, Gloucester county. Three men
were blown, to atoms and a score of
other employees seriously injured. The
shock was felt fer miles and the report
was beard in Woodstown.- Like similar
explos 'ons, no one knows how it hap
pepFd, as those in a position to know
wh.re killed and the cause is only a mat
ter Of conjecture. Where stood two
buildings, some two hundred feet apart,
nov only remain two huge holes about
twenty. five feet in depth and large
enough to set any one of the remaining
80 buildings in.
Those killed were: Charles Wright, of
Paulsboro. who leaves a wife and one
young son; James Hamilton, Paulsboro,
leaves a wife; Thompson Stiles, Gibbs
town, leaves a wife and one child.
Joseph Connolly, John Landlord,
Charles Madara, John Williams, of
Paulsboro, aad Peter Fellman and
Engineer jefferson, of G%ibbstown, were
among the most seriously injured. There
were several others who received slight
cuts by falling glass. Stiles but recently
moved from Woodstown to Gibbstown,
and had relatives living here.
AhO OuPlOyOOc Obsy uohO q bWOhbJ
minutes incoming, stopping at twelve
O'Clock, and it was exactly at 10 25
when the explosion occurred. Stiles
and Hamilton were the only ones in the
nitro -glycerine house, and these men
do not stop to eat dinner, as the ma
chinery goes Oh, and the men ladle out
the acid as it comes down into the tanks,
while Wright used a barrow in taking it
from one house to the other. 1t is sup
posed he had just reached the house
after another load when the accident
happened. There were about $500
pounds of pitro-glycerine in the tanks at
the time, and the explosion may have
been caused by the dropping of a ladle or
cup, or anything that would cause fric-
ton. The two houses blown up were
connected by an overhead pipe. 1t is sup
posed that the accident occurred in the
separating house and in an instant com-
municated to the mixing house, as in
the other instances.
The other employees had barely gotten
to work when the crash came. Every
hand at the works was thrown to the
floor, some being wounded by the shock
and Others by the falling glass from
windows and other debris. The greatest
CONSERVATION prevailed for a time.
Everyone able to run from their build
ing did So, only to stumble over some
obstruction as the smoke was so dense
that one could scarcely see a foot ahead.
Superintendent Chase was eating his
lunch in the oiic which is a quarter of
a mile from the plant. and he states that
the windows in the office were shattered,
the books thrown from the shelves and
he was thrown from his chair.
All the survivors at once sent mes
ssges to their friends and the usual roll
call was made when it was found that
four of the men were missing. Gardiner,
who was probably the most injured out
side of the three men killed, came up
later badly cut about the head. A search
was at once made for the other men, and
only an arm and shoulder could be found
of Hamilton, which was recognized by
his coat sleeve. A finger was found
containing a ring which was recognized
as Wright's. Other pieces of flesh were
picked up about the yard, a piece of leg
here and an arm there, and when all was
gathered they DOLLY filled two buckets.
Coroner Gaskill and a jury of six held
| the inquest on Saturday. The scene of
the disaster in the morning, when Super
intendent jackson and the other man
| ayers told what they could to enlighten
the jury: bow an accident was possible
and what instruments the employees had
about their dangerous work. After
carefully examining a number of wit
uesses the jury gave a verdict to the
| effect that the company was not to
blame, and the three men lost their lives
through an explosion, but the cause of
whieh was unknown to them.
Several more pieces of flesh we're
found Saturday morning and these were
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