The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-26
FRIGHTFUL DISASTER AT THE
GRIESHEGM ELECTRO-CHEMICA
WORKS IN KENTUCKY
sMoKELEss POWDER LETS GO
FLAMES FOLLOWING THE ExPI1o4
SION DESTROY FACTORY AND
ADJOINING HOUSES
TWO HUNDRED ARE INJURED
Full List of Those Who Lost Theip
Lives Impossible to Obtain
in the Stricken Town
Last Night.

FRANKFORT, KY, April Bone Of
the most disastrous explosions on record
occurred this afternoon at the electro
chemical works near Grieshetm, where
smokeless powder is manufactured Most
of the boilers exploded The noise was SO
tremendous that it was heard a great dis
tances, including Frankfort and Mayence.
The factory Immediately became a mass
OF flames, and a northeast wind carried
the sparks to neighbortng villages, where
several houses were also set on fire.
Eighteen cylinders, each containing
about one hundred hundred weight OF
SmokeleSs powder were in the room where
the explosion occurred
Troops were Immediately ordered to
Griesheim to prevent the fire spreading to
the large benzine reservoirs near by. Fire
brigades from every place in the neigh
borhood hurried to the scene, but owing
to the dangerous nature of the disaster,
and the fear of a renewal of the explo-
sions, the greatest difficulty was expert
enced in stopping the progress of the
flames. Only after five hours of stren-
uous effort was the confa grafton to some
extent controlled and the danger passed.
SO as to make it possible to begin the
work of extricating the bodies.
LONG LIST OF DEAD. |
It is feared that nearly two hundred
persons have been killed or injured, but
the number cannot be determined until
the list of the employees of the chemical
works can be compared with the sur
v1vors The fire continues to burn, al
though the greater part Of the Frankfort
fire department and the troops are try
ing to prevent it's spread to the buildings
outside of the fire zone. Hospitals have
been tmprovised in the vicinity
The flames originated by the blowing up
of watts of chemicals in the explosive de- (
partment of the works at O'Clock this
afternoon.
They spread with frighttul speed to the
adjacent buildings and then over the river
Main to Schwanhein. When q second ex- /
plosion took place the flames and masses
of burning chemicals made 1t impossible
to stay in the vicinity. The inhabitants
of Griesheim were ordered to leave their
Village. which they did, fleeing to Frank
fort
The last explosion occurred at 1880 D.
M, and when it was aseertained that no
further damage was anticipated the IN
habitants were allowed to return to their
homes. At $50 p. m. the fire was still
burning in the center and the work OF
extricating the dead and dying was being
carried on by torchlight, saslight not
being obtainable. All railway traffic from
Frankfort was stopped during the fire,
ex Apt for trains carrying the injured, but
1t has since been resumed.
Four sheds for dressing the wounds Of
the injured have been erected The cae
tastrophe originated in a small fire, which
ignited several receptacles of polo acid
causing a terrific explosion. The houses
adjoining the factory were partly burned
and partly demolished by the violence OF
the explosion 1t is still impossible to say
definitely how numerous are the victims.