Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-11-01
POWDER EXPLOSIONS
AT PROVING GROUND


Filling Houses and Magazines at Indian
Head Destroyed Last Night Week.
Warrington, Oct. %. AT s O'Clock
this morning, Admiral O'Neil, chief OF
the Ordnance Bureau of tho Navy De-
partment, received telephone mes.
sage from the proyingground,a at Indian
Head. reporting that, OF about 10
O'Clock last night fire and several
explosions occurred in one of the filling
houses and magazines. No other
damage was done, and no one was
injured. This message was received by
Admiral O'Neil from Lieut.. Fullin-
wider, who is second in command at
Indian Head. At the time he sent it,
Lieut.. Strauss, the comniandant at the
proving ground, was on his way to
Washington, on the proving ground dis
patchboat Santa Barbara, to make his
report of the occurrence directly to
headquarters here. As soon as 1t be-
came known officially that no one had
been injured, great relief was expert
enced at the Navy Department.
The building where the first explosion
occurred is technically known as cart
ridges" being place where the brass
shells which are used in the small
caliber rapid-fire guns are filled with
powder. 1t is distant about half mile
from the wharf, and from where the
srmor plate tests occur. TIE loss as far
as buildings is. 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 10 tons of brown powder and 10
tons of smoKeless powder The latter,
when not closely confined under pres
sure, is not explosive, but creates a
vast flame, and Admiral O'Neil thinks
it was the first blaze from the burning
smokeless powder which gave rise to
the belief that great accident had
occurred at Indian Head.
Not more than 1000 feet distant
from the powder houses, stand the resi-
denoes Of half dozen employees at the
proving grounds and their families.
None of these people was injured, a
fact,accounted for by the prudencewhich
located the magazines in ravinss,
atfording the protection of the encom-
passing. hills to residences in the neigh
borhood.
The big powder factory, representing
large expenditure of government
money, was never in danger from the
fire and explosion.
L. L. Cockrel, business man Of
this city, who lives on the Virginia
side of the Potomac directly opposite
Indian Head, said that the first ex-
plosion occurred at 10, 10 O'Clock. 1t
was terrific His house, which is six
miles from the proving ground, was
shaken to the foundations. The win
dows ratified, and some of the plaster
ing fell. At first, Mr.. Cockrell thought
there must have been an earthquake,
SO severe was the shock; but when he
rushed to the window and found the
sky lurid for miles; he realized that
there had been an explosion at Indian
Head. The glare in the heavens faded
almost immediately; and Tor almost
five minutes afterward, there was dark
ness. Then began series OF explosions
in RAPID succession, which lasted for
almost two hours. At times, there was
a continuous roar like fierce cannonad-
ing with big guns. The lurid reflection
in the heavens showed that fire ragged
fiercely. After the first explosion, he
heard the gongs at Indian Head ringing
and the whistles blowing furiously.
Ibis morning, Mr.. Cockrell said every
body on the Virginia side of the river
expected to find all the structures at
Indian Head destroyed, and were sur
prised to see the towers and stacks still
standing.