The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-07-22

New Haven, Conn. July 22.-An ap-
pnlling accident occurred yesterday in
Che shell loading department of the
Winchester Repeating Fire Arms com
pany without an instants warming
six human beings lost their lives by an
explosion, and another victim died soon
afterward at the hospital A score of
others were more or less seriously in
jured. but no further fatalities are an
ucipated. More than 15O men and wo-
men are employed in the loading de-
partment, and that more fatalities did
not result from the concussion is al
most miraculous.
The hundreds Of people who gathered
about the gates Immediately after the
explosion witnessed a gruesome sight,
Six dead bodies, blackened with powder
and frightfully mangled, almost beyond
recognition, were lying on the floor.
Near by two injured men were writh-
ing in agony, and all about were men
running with their faces and arms
bleeding from shot wounds, unmindful
of their injuries, trying to assist and
quel the confusion. Owing to the num-
Der Of girls, who were carried out in
a fainting condition, il was believed
that many of them were seriously in
jured, and there was a great feeling of
relief when it was found that in most
cases they were unharmed.
The dead are William F. Baumer
Mrs. Mary Baumeister, Miss Josie
Brennan, Miss Ida Brown, William
Hill, Miss Tracy Conroy and Edward
Bardorf. George Bardorf and Edward
Blair We're fatally injured
The explosion occurred in the load
ing room. Employed in this room
were $50 hands, two-thirds of them
girls or women. Nearly all of the fe-
male hands are employed on the load
ing machines, each of which employs
three operators. The full complement
of hands was at work in the room
when the explosion took place. Forty
feet Of the side of the building was
blown out and hurled in pieces many
feet, and fragments of human bodies
were scattered In a sickening manner.
A hurry call was sent for all available
physicians; the fire department, the
police, the ambulance and hospital
corps were speedily summoned, and the
work of caring for the dead and in
jured was begun.
Perhaps the saddest scene was en-
acted when John Baumeister learned
that his wife was among the dead. He
lived in Hampton. and had but recently
married. At the time of the explosion
he was at work but a few feet distant
from his wife,
The explosion did not cause a fire
and the fire deuartment confined its
efforts to aiding the work of relief
The cause of the explosion has not beer
determined, and perhaps it's cause may
] never be known. Those at work in tn,
room at the time say that it was du,
| to the fact mat 9 cartridge in process
| of loading had been improperly placeC
! IN the machine.
The two Bardorf boys, working sid
/ by side, were thrown at a tangent ou
one side of the building They strucl
the ground 90 feet away. Edward Blair
working ten fet away at his machine
was sent upward through the roof
He fell on an ash heap, with broker
bones and a fractured skull and hi
legs twisted out of shape.
Mrs Baumeister was but 16 years old
and had been in the factory but thre
weeks. She was married a little owe
a month ago, and she and her husband
Fritz, used adjoining machines. Th
girl was blown fully so feet, and wal
so crushed out Of shape that 1t was al
most impossible to identify her. Tht
husband, curiouslY enough, was ap
parently blown with the same fore,
and by the same blast, and yet he il
one of the least seriously injured. II,
struck the ground but a few feet shor
Of his wife, and staggered to his fee
and fell across the mass of mangleC
flesh that had been his wife.
Edward Bardorf died after beinl
taken to the hospital.
Ida Brown, one Of those killed out
right, came from Detroit, Mich, II
which city her parents reside.
II. C. Bennett, president of the com
pany, said: 1--WE have been running
automatic loading machines for 2
years, and this is the first time tina
anyone has been injured in their use
Since the adoption of those machine
we have had no accident in the use o
black gunpowder."
Mr. Bennett expressed the belief tina
through the carelessness of the oper
ator or the powder boy the machin
chat exploded had been overoharged.
, Cereal Coffee Drinkers BEwAREi
If you have been deceived and tried one
the cheap bran substitutes now on the marke
claiming to be the original and to have grei
food value, and you got pound Of poor
roasted bran for your 25c and a poor, weal
sickish drink what can you expect fro
branl, don't be discoura ged but try GRAIN-t
1t is made from solid grain, nicely brown,
and pounds for 25c. Grain-O takes Il
4 place of coffee at the price. Get packal
Of your grocer to-day.
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