Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-29
-
DIED LIKE 4 DU row.
Attempt To Prevent II Powder Min u
plosion on the Brnndywine.

bNbtds
DIED LIKE 4 DU row.
Attempt to Prevent u Powder Mill Tx
piosion on the Brandywine.
1.-THE Dynamite Worker" is the sub
iect Of Cleveland Motfett's danger
and Daring article in st. Nicholas.
Incidentally he tells how member Of
the great powdermakipg firm OF du
| Points went to a hero's death, when
duty called him:
Let me conclude with the mention Of
a remarkable family of explosivemakers,
the du Points Of Wilmington, who for
generations now have had practical
monopoly in this country of the powder
making business, including dynamite
and nitroglycerine. In this enterprise
a great fortune has accumulated, so
that the du Points of To-Day are very
rich men, far beyond any need Of work
ing In the mills themselves, and have
bern for years, Yet work In tho mills
they do all of them practical ly-and
direct In detail all the processes Of
manufacture, and face continually, day
by day, in thsir own persons the same
terrible dangers that the humbleat
mixer faces in his tasks.
/ There has grown in their hearts
through the century great pride Of
courage, like that of an officer who
leads his men into battle-a pride far
stronger than any longing Tor pleasure.
And they cannot, If they would, leave
these slow, grinding mills, whers any
day spark may bring catastrophe to
make the whole land shudder.
There came a day for instance this
was o long time ago when a swift
flame swept through one OF the mixing
rooms, nearly empty OF powder at the
time, yet so permeated with the stuff
in floor and walls that the building
was burning fiercely In few seconds
No man can say what started it,,
although IL was believed that heavy
box, slid along the wooden floor,
brought flash out OF the dry timbers.
At any rate, the fash came, aud the
blaze followed on it so swiftly that the
building was wrapped in fire before
the men inside could reach the door,
and they presently burst out Glazing
thsmHelpes, for their clothing was
sifted through with explosive dust.
Indeed, II is always true In fires at
powder mills that tie workmeu are q
serious menace to the buildings by
reason Of their own inflammability.
So the next thing WAS plunge into
the placid Brandywine, which winds
across the yards between willow hung
banks. In went the men; In weni
young Alexis du Pont; and with a
little hiss their flaming garments were
extinguished. Then, as they struck
out into the stream, they looked back
and saw that the wind was carrying .
shower of sparks from the burning
, building to the roof of a cutting mil
near by, where tons of powder lay Fol-
one of the sparks to reach the TIMES
powder train would mean the blowing
, up uf this mill, and, it might he, thl
! blowing Up of another and another BY
, conclusion.
/ All this young du Pont realized In
! single glance. Here would be an aw
] full disaster presently, and many live
! imperiled, unless those falling fire
y brands could somehow be kept off tina
4 roof. To know this was to act
9 M Millionaire or not, peril or not, it wa
a his plain duty as du Pont to figh
4 those sparks; and, without moments
:. watering, he turned back and scrafn
h Dled up the bank.
4 nCome on, boys'' he cried. "Star
r the bucket line" And moment late
4 he was climbing to the roof OF tn
q threatened mill. And there he did al
a that brave man can do; he stanpe
a out the falling embers; he dashe
Q water again aud again upon the kind
a ling fire as the men psssed up fu
a buckets; and for a time be seemed {
. conquer. But presently the fire flame
o hotter, the sparks came faster, and tn
, water came not fast enough. He saw
a he must have seen-that the struggl
!. was hopeless, that the mill beneat
him was doomed, that the explosio
must come soon. They called O
: him to save himself. He shouted bac
n an order that they pass up MOI
water, andsskeep passing water.
> The men below did their best, bt
it was vain effort, for in those da,
the roofs of powder mills were mac
Of pitch and cement not of iron, ,
p today-and by this time the fire hu
q eaten its way nearly through. Alex
~ du Pont, WORKING desperately, stoc
- there with flames spreading all arour
~ him. 1t was plain to every one that Il
minutes of his life were numberet
70 Again they shouted, and
~ The explosion came like an exec
y ton, and out Of the wreck of it tn,
VI bore away his crushed and brok,
D. body. The last thing he knew was tn
n he had played the game out fairl,
o. the end-he died like du Pont, sa
y the men.