The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-10-30
INDIAN HEAD EXPLOSION
A MAGAZINE AND A POWDER STORAGE
HOUSE BLOWN up
CAUSE OF EXPLOSION A MYSTERY
Both Houses Inspected During the Day
and a Short While Before the Disas-
ter and Found In Proper O~rder-Noth-
Ing In Them to Cause Spontaneous
Combustion-About Forty Thousand
Pounds OF Powder and Some Fixed
Ammunition I'm the Burned Buildings.

Washington, October 25.-At s q O'Clock
this morning Admiral O'Neil. chief OF
the ordnance bureau. navy depart
from the proving ground at Indian
Head. reporting that about 10 O'Clock
last night. a fire and several explosions
occurred in n OF the filling houses
and magazines. No other damage was
done and no one was injured.
Lieutenant Strauss, commandment at
Indian Head, came up on a naval tug and
at once went to the navy department,
where he made a lengthy verbal report
to Admiral O'Ncil. The latter then
gave out the following details pre-
scented by Lieutenant Strauss:
The explosion occurred in a small
magazine of h proving ground n
this in turn, set fire to an adjacent
building where ammunition was stored,
both the magazine and the other build
ing being destroyed
The magazine vas opened al 10
O'CLOCK yesterday morning to take put
a quantity of powder. At that time its
temperature was taken at 81 degrees,
which is quite low, the temperature in
ship magazines being as high as 80 de-
grees. 1t was then closed for the day.
AT 4:3O d. m a Waterman made his
usual rounds of inspection n found
everything about the magazine in prop
er order.
AT $50 O'Clock the Waterman again
made his round and turned in a report
showing everything in proper order.
"At 1918 O'Clock p. m. the explosion
occurred, without warning and with
out h slightest clew as to what oc-
casioned it. There was in the maya
zine at the time Of the explosion 5000
pounds of black powder, 30, 700 pounds
of smCkeless powder, and a lot of
brown powder, probably about 1000
| pounds. After the first explosion the
fire found it's way to the ammunition,
and this caused successive explosions.
lasting until after midnight. Most of
the powder was destroyed, but some of
the Smokeless powder lies scattered
about in heaps, not having been ignited.
Many of the shells and smaller pro-
jectileS also are lying about, unex-
ploded, although showing the effects OF
heat.
THE loss is estimated by Admiral
O'Neil at between S25, 900 n $4,000 on
powder and ammunition The loss to
the buildings is considered trifiing. A
small photographing plant also was
destroyed.
1.-THE damage was confined to this
spot, which is a ravine, isolated from
the main buildings on the high grounds
The officers quarters and those uset
by workmen and their families were
considerably shaken UP, many window:
being broken and the plastering Of
ceilings being shaken down.. There wa.
naturally much excitement, but at M
time anything like a panic.
1.-The AUS of the explosion is a com.
plete mystery, Lieutenant Strauss re.
ported that there were no fabrics il
the magazine except a few powder
bags, so that the theory of spontaneou!
combustion is not entertained. Th'
low degree of temperature during tn,
morning also is an assurance that al
was right in that particular. The mag
aZine had all the modern appliances O
safety
Admiral O'Neil directed Lieutenan
Strauss to assemble a board of inquir.
from among those at the station, wins
will conduct an investigation and maxi
a formal report on the subject.
The admiral said that this was tn,
usual and necessary course and in
volved no reflection on those in charge