Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-04-01
Explosion at DuPonts Powder Works
Three Men Blown to Atoms.

III 1913 Tue famous powder makers, Tue
DuPonts, bought 900 acres of land-the
Salisbury and Mullen farms-fronting on
the Delaware river, at Gibbstown. Works
were constructed on the low lands along
the river, far removed from the town, or
farm dwellings and put in operation on
January 1st, 1880 From 100 to IT'S
persons have since found regular and pro-
fitable employment in these works, the num-
Der varying with the demand for explo-
sives. The only drawback to employment
there is the nature of the output, and con-
slant liability to explosion, yet in the II
years of business, but three accidents of
that character have occurred, resulting in
ten deaths. The first fatality occurred on
March 30, 1884, when six persons-Walter
N. Hill, General Superintendent, of Wood
bury Lamont Dupont, president of the
company A. S Ackerson, salesman for
the company Geo. Norton, of Gibbstown
Harry l.. Norcross, of Bridgeport, and
Lewis Ley, of Paulsboro were killed. The
second explosion occurred on March I'd,
1898, when Levi WINS was the victim.
At IL 25 last Friday, the third and most
violent explosion occurred, resulting in the
death of three mem j Thomson Stiles,
aged 80 years. of Gibbstown; Charles
Wright, aged 81 years. of Paulsboro; james
Hamilton, aged 25 years, of Paulsboro-
The following employees were injured
from flying glass and from shock, though
not seriously: John Langford, Jos. DON
nelly, Wilson Stetser, John Williams, John
Jefferson, Charles Madara, Charles Fish,
William Gardiner, Peter Fulmer
1t will seem surprising TO the general
reader, that an explosion which completely
removed two buildings of considerable
size, and left only hole in the ground of
sufficient size to bury an ordinary house,
should occur in the midst of 40 work men,
with so little loss of life.
This is explained by the fact that each
process in the manufacture of the explosives
has its own house, and is separate and dis
trust from every ,other department. Seventy
buildings are distributed over the 600
acres. and the employees of each house are
practically safe from serious results in
other houses.
THE EXPLOSION OF MARCH 26.
At 1924 the three men who met their
death in the separating " and weighing
out" houses were its only occupants, hence
the exact cause of the explosion will never
be told
AN EYE WITNESS.
Here is statement made to a reporter
by one of the employees, who was about
seventy-fve yards from the houses that
we're blown up. He said: 81 was in the
nitro-glycerine house at the time OF the ex-
plosion, and bad hardly settled down to
work when the building quivered and 1
felt my feet knocked from under me. Then
followed terrible crash which instinctiYely
knew meant death to some, and probably
many. Although severely injured, Il feared
to remain in the building, and as / stepped
upon the threshold of the door leading to
the yard | was !stupifed, and my reason
for moment left me at the terrible scene
which was spread out before me. Two big
holes, funnel.shaped and filled with water,
were where the separating and neutraliz.
ing houses stood moment before, and not
vestage of life was visible in the ruins.
THE DESTROYED BUILDINGS.
The separating house." which went up
with the weighing-out" house, was con-
nected with the latter building by lead
gutter, through which the charges of nitro
the time of the explosion it is supposed that
about 5000 pounds of the deadly explosive
were in the weighing-out house.
Only few minutes before the explosion
q charge Of nitro-glycerine had passed
through the gutter, weighing about 1850
pounds. and the gutter was then cleaned
with soda. n
When the explosion occurred Stiles was
busying himself about the separating
house, and Hamilton, it is supposed, was
engaged at his work among the nitro
glycerine in the weighing-out" house
Wright had. few seconds before the ex-
plosion, started down the plank walk lead
ing to the mixing house with wheelbar-
row containing a barrel of oil. He had
gone about thirty-fye yards when puff of
smoke arose and simultaneously with this,
although the two houses were fully fifty
yards apart, they were instantly blown to
atoms.
The air for while was filed with the
flying debris. heavy pieces of timber being
forced half mile from the indentations in
the earth, which marked the site of the
two houses.
THE INQUEST.
Coroner Gaskill held an inquest on the
remains of the three men, and the jury
rendered verdict OF accidental death, and
exonerated the Company from all blame.
THE FUNERALS.
The funerals of Sti' es and Hamilton were
held last Monday-Stiles from his home in
Gibbstown in the morning, and Hamilton