The Portland daily press., 1897-07-22
THE WINCHESTER DISASTER.
Six Persons Were Killed BY Powder
Explosion.

An Accident Occurred in the Main
Workroom-Bodies We're Mangled in a
Frightful Manner-Causs of Explosion
| Not Yet Determined.
New Haven, Conn, July 21.-The
worst explosion since the establishment
of the Winchester Repeating Arms COM
of this concern this morning. Six persons
were instantly. killed; two more fatally
injured; and at least dozen were more
or less seriously hurt.
The list of the dead as given out by the
police and medical examiner Includes:
VIM. F. Banner, Mrs. Mary Baumeister,
Miss Josie Brennan, Miss Ada Brown.
VIM. HILL Miss Tracey Conroy.
Fatally injured: George Bardorf, Ed
ward Bardorf
The explosion occurred in that depart-
ment which is known as the leading
room. Employed in this room were 100
hands, about 100 of whom were girls and
women. Nearly all Of the female hands
are employed ON what are known as the
loading machines These machines are
so constructed as to require three opera.
tors. The receptacle holding the powder
has capacity of one pound Of the explo-
sive, land as fast as the powder is exhaust
ed powder boy replenishes the supply.
At about $50 this morning, the full
complement of employees were at work
in the room. Suddenly and without
warning a defening explosion took place.
Forty feet of the side of the building
was blown out and hurled in pieces some
distance away. The air was filed with
flying debris and the fragments Of hui
man bodies were scattered in a sickening
manner.
The immediate scene of the explosion
presented a sickening sight. Machinery,
wood, kricks and other debris were every
| where and in the midst of all were found
pieces, large and small, recognizable
and otherwise, of quivering human flesh.
| 1t was sight which caused the strong
est men to falter and draw back
y AS rapidly as possible the injured were
cared for. In two instances the suffer-
| Ing OF the wounded was frightful. One
| OF the victims, who had not been killed,
was partially disemboweled. AS rapidly
as victim was seen to be alive, the
musilated being was tenderly cared for,
patched with all possible speed home
ward 1d9.a
| When the work Of caring for the injured
was proceeded with, so far as opportuni-
ty then allowed, an effort to ascertain the
extent Of the fatalities was inaugurated.
Two bodies had been decapitated. 9th
ers had been partially torn asunder, and
SILL others had lost arms, legs and other
portions Of their bodies.
The officials Of the company expended
every effort to assist in the work Of relief.
Ihe, fellow workmen and work women
OF dhe victims were quivering with ex-
element. Some Of them were burned by
the binding flash, some were stunned
| BY flying wreckage and all were fright
| fully wrought up
The explosion did not cause q fire and
the fire department confined it's efforts
to aiding In the work Of relief A ex-
animation Of the building showed that
the damage was not great. The interior
was somewhat badly wrecked and 40
feet OF one side were carried away.
The cause Of the explosion has not been
determined and perhaps Its cause may
never be known. Some Of those at work
In the room at the time say that it was
due to the fact that cartridge in process
Of loading had been improperly placed in
the machine. It is not even definitely
known in just which machines the explo-
sion occurred.
An explosion in any Of the main depart
ments at Winchester's is an usual thing.
Extraordinary precautions are taken
and the CONF anies' off1t Ills are careful to
an extreme, almost in their efforts to pre-
clude the possibility of q disaster.