The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-06
Hole Fifteen Feet Deep and Fifty An
Diameter Excavated end Huge
Trees Shivered.
NOISE HEARD FIFTY MILES
CAN OF NITROGLyCERIN PROBABLY
DROPPED BY A DRIVER,
And 1000 Quarts Of the Explosive
Set Oh-Second Accident OF u
Similar Nature.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
BLUFFToN, Ind, Aug. Three men
lost their lives at 1880 o'c day in an
explosion which blew TO . the factory
of the Empire and American Nitro-GIycerin
Company. located two miles east of Bluff
ton. Those killed were:
WILLIAM HOWARD. superintendent Of
the factory.
WILLIAM sTEFFY, assistant superin-
tendent.
ED RADABAUGH. a teamster In the
employ of the company.
All were young married men leaving
wives. but no children.
erin exploded, and ii is supposed that IL
was caused by the dropping OF can OF the
explosive by Radabaugh, who was az a
magazine near the factory loading 40 quarts
into a wagon to be taken to the Montpelier
oil fields.
Howard's body was the only one of the
three that could be found. 1t was lying a
short distance from the factory on the side
opposite the magazine The body was hor-
ribly mangied. but the features were easily
recognized. The shoulder blade of one of
the other men was found, but no other
bones o. flesh were discovered that could
be identified as those OF man. 1t is
thought that Steffys body may have been
cremated in the burning ruins, while Rada-
baugh was undoubtedly blown to atoms.
The force OF the explosion was terrific.
A hole fifteen feet deep and fifty feet in
diameter was excavated. while large trees
for distance of 300 to 400 feet were shivered
as though struck by lightning.
Windows in farm houses were shattered,
while plate glass windows in the city were
broken.
The team of mules driven by Radabaugh
torn to shreds and a portion of one
of the animals was blown almost a quar-
ter of a mile.
The company would have dismantled the
factory here next week, after having oper-
ated it for about ten years. 1t has just
completed a new factory at Hartford City.
The loss here is 5000.
Howard had worked for the company
several years. His body was brought 10
this city by Coroner Mcbride. A letter
found near Howard from an insurance
agent, ]. w. Egnew, of Wabash. assured
Howard that he could consider a policy In
force on his life. although he (Egnew) had
not been here to deliver it. Howard had
applied for insurance.
The explosion was heard for fifty miles,
There seems to be foundation for a report
that a stranger entered the plant just be-
fore the explosion and lost his life.
The explosion to-day recalls a similar
tragedy eight eyars ago near the same
place, in which William Ulmer. q driver.
lost his life. Ulmer had started from the
factory early in the morning with a wagon
loaded with 40 quarts of the explosive
He drove down to the Wabash river, where
the road made an abrupt turn to skirt the
river bank and at the turn the explosion
occurred. 1t was supposed that the wagon
struck a projecting root of a tree standing
near the turn and was upset, or was Jared
sufficiently to cause the explosion Ulmer.
the two horses he driving and the
wagon were blown to atoms and scattered
for 200 yards in every direction. Five large
trees that stood near the place where the
accident occurred were blown to splinters
and hole thirty feet across and down TO
bed rock was torn in the ground. Sufficient
dirt and other debris were thrown I'm the
river TO partially dam the stream and hum
dreds of fish were stunned killed.
All that was found of Ulmer was a half
bucketful of shreds of flesh that were
picked up from the Surrounding ground
gathered from the branches OF trees and
pronounced human flesh by a physician.
The heads of the two horses were found
two hundred yards down stream.
spot where band of gypses had en-
camped. The gypsies were so stunned and
frightened by the explosion that for several
hours after the accident they huddled to-
gether in a dazed group near their wagons.
seemingly bereft of the power OF speech.
The explosion was pronounced one OF the
most terrific they had ever known by men
accustomed TO handling the dangerous
fluid, considering the amount OF giycerin
exploded. The force of the shock was felt
distinctly within a radius of thirty miles,
while nearly every window In Bluffton. two:
miles distant. shattered.