Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-07-15
HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE.
A Scene Of Terror at the Latin
Rand Powder Works.
AWFUL RESULT OF TWO EXPLOSIONS.
Eight Men Are Killed, some of Them
Being Literally Torn to Pfeoss--
Twenty Others Are Badly
Wounded.

New York, July 1.-two explosions
which killed eight men, wounded about
20 others and wrecked two buildings,
occurred at the plant of the Lahin- Rand
powder works, at compton, N. j., Tues
day. The first explosion was in the
house where the gun-cotton was being
made, and the second, presumably SUI
perinduced by conclusion, was in the
drying house, close by.
blown to Atoms.
Three men were In the mixing room
when the explosion occurred, and they
were blown to atoms. Chief Engineer
Craig, who was in the engine-room, had
his head crushed to a jelly in the wreck
age of the boiler house, the side OF
which was blown out. John Phillips
was standing near tree some distance
from the mixing house. His head was
blown from his body, and was picked up
80 feet away. His body was frightfully
torn by the force of the explosion, and
his clothes were whipped from his body.
The foreman of the drying-room was
also blown to pieces and number OF
Italians, who were digging trench
IN the rear OF the building, were killed.
The most seriously injured was William
H. Emmons, private of company I,
Third New Jersey volunteers. He was
horribly torn by flying splinters. 1t is
not likely he will recover. Charles
Lukes, Of Butler, was also probably IA
tally injured.
Roar IL Heard for Miles.
The first explosion was at about halt
past ten o'clock. Before the noise and
roar of 1t died away, there was sec
ond, louder and more terrific than
the first. The roar was heard for
miles and the conclusion broke win
dows in all directions. The explosion
was followed by fire which threat.
ened to spread to the other buildings
of the plant in which tons OF high ex'
plosives were stored.
Five Companies of the Third New
Iersey volunteers have been stationed
at the plant since the war with SPAR
| began and they were ordered under
arms and went to the scene of the ex
| plosion at double-quick time. Within
ten minutes the soldiers had formed
Gordon about the entire works ant
soon the fremen were at work trying
| to quench the flames.
| Scenes Mt the Wrecked Plant.
Almost Immediately after the explo
sion the anxious relatives Of the mel
working at the mill congregated nea'
the scene. The soldiers tried ever,
means of keeping the crowd back, tell
ing them of the danger of further ex
plosions and the impossibility of thei
passing the line. Women, frantic witt
anxiety, tried to rush through, and tn
soldiers were compelled to fix bayo
nets to hold the crowd back. AS tn
injured came through the lines OF sol
diers the scenes of excitement were re
doubled. Every one of the working
men who came out was Immediate.
surrounded and begged for word o
those who had been left behind, man.
of whom are still missing.
/ The fire was soon under control an
finally quenched. The search for othe
dead and missing was Immediately be
4 gun and will be prosecuted diligently
i Not the Work of Spy.
| After the explosion there was som
talk of Spanish spy being implicate
in the attempt to destroy the powde
mill. but the theory of the men cor
neoted with the works is that a graf
of gravel or sand got into some pow
der which was in process of handlin
in the mixing-room, and that as
A went through the machinery the fol
eign substance came in contact with
metal surface and threw out sparl
which ignited the explosive.
/ The Lafin-Rand company has bee
engaged in the manufacture of brow
J, powder, nitro-glycerin, gun-cotto
and smokeless powder under contrac
to the government. The loss to tn
company will be great but it Is sal
that reconstruction Of the wrecke
buildings will begin at once and tina
the plant will be in full running orde
In two weeks.
Theory Is All Very Wen.
Mrs. Mishaw-You praise yoursel