The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-10-26

WASHINGTON. Oct. 25.-At s o'clock
this morning. Admiral O'Neill. chief OF
m. ordnance department, navy depart
mont, received telephone message
from the proving grounds at Indian
Had. reporting that about 10 o'clock
lost night fire and several explosions
occurred in one of the filling houses
and magazines. The cause Of the ex-
plOsIon is unknown at present. but an
investigation is now In progress. No
other damage was done. and no one
was injured.
This message was received by Ad-
mIral O'Nclll from Lieut.. Fullinwider,
who is second In command at Indian
Head. AT the time he sent 1t Lieut..
Strauss. the commandment at the prog
inc grounds, was on his way to Wash
Ington on the proving ground dispatch
boa, Santa Barbara, to make his report
Of the occurrence directly to head
quarters here. AS soon as 1t became
known officially that no one had been
injured, great relief was expressed at.
the navy department.
Where the Explosion Occurred.
The building where the first explosion
occurred is technically known as cart
ridges" being n place where the brass
shells which are used In the small call
bre rapid fire guns are filed with
10 O. al n hn
mile from the wharf where the boats
land aHd from the point where the ar
NOR plate tests occur. Within 4 hun
dred feet on one side and about 800 feet
on the other are two other buildings,
one designated on the official map
rs magazine" and the other marked
dark" These buildings are used for
powder storage. and 1t Is not positively
known whether they have all been de-
stroyed or not. II they have, the loss
50 far as buildings are concerned, is
slight.
They were constructed lightly, with
a special view to avoiding confinement
OF the powder contents, in case of. fire.
Within the three buildings were stored
about fifteen tons OF brown powder
and ten tons OF smokelesS powder.
The latter, when not closely confined
under pressure. Is not explosive, but
creates vast flame. and Admiral
O'Neill thinks 1t was the fierce blaze
from the burning smokeless powder
which gave rise to the belief that 4
great accident had occurred at Indian
Head. r-
None Of the People Injured.
Not more than thousand feet dis
tant from the powder houses stand the
residences OF half dozen employees at
the proving grounds and their fami-
lies. None OF these people were in
jured, a fact accounted for by the pru-
dence which located the magazines in
ravines. affording the protection OF the
encompassIng hills TO residences in the
vicinity. The big powder factory, rep
rtseutinG large expenditure OF gov
crnment money, was never, In danger
from the fire and explosion. 1t Is be-
tween two and three miles distant, in
l straight line. from the scene OF the
disaster. with hills lying between.
admiral O'Neill was about to order
an investigation when he ascertained
that this already had commenced at
Indian Head. 1t Is always difficult to
fix the responsibility in such cases. The
admiral thought that some workmen In
the vicinity yesterday may have been
careless, and left d burning cigarette
or match, which started fire, that
smouIdered until night fall, when it
communicated with some powder. On
the other hand, there always Is posi-
bility. which naval officers do not Ike
10 recognize. OF some chemical change
taking place in the powder which re-
suited in spontaneous combustion. The
loss in money represented by the pow.
der is comparatively small. for IL all
the powder contained in the buildings
was lost. the sum would not be above
$4,000. while the buildings. as already
stated, were OF the timsiest charac-
Ter. ..-
Rush of Reporters.
As soon as the fact OF the explosion
became known. there was rush OF
reporters and others toward the prov
Ing grounds. This IL a point very DIFF
fcult OF access, being about thirty miles
down the river from Washington. and
of the line of direct communication. To
add to the difficulties of the newsgath-
eFeTs they were excluded from the
proving grounds proper by the rigid
rules Of the navy department. Adj
mIral O'Neill refused to suspend the
rule In this instance. on the ground that
the safety OF the visitors, as well as
the government property and the inter-
ests OF the government work required
the exclusion OF outsiders from the
grounds. He volunteered. however, TO
ascertain all the facts In the case that
could be OF interest TO the public, and
to freely give them out. which promise
he redeemed.
The last accident OF this kind at In
dan Head occurred about six months
ago when the commandant, Lieut..
stratus. Tas Injured. Fire was dis
covered In the shell house, and the Of
Hcer ventured into 1t and cudcavored
10 prevent An explosion. Some OF the
snels; however exploded. and he was
sIhHuy hurt The loss on that occa-
sion was ,rINJ,,,