The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-11-19
SWanton Powder Works
Wiped 0ut.
BUILDINGS DESTROYED
Two Other Employees Were Hort
Houses in Swanton i Mile Dis
tant Were Shaken.

st.Albans. Nov. ls.-The Robin Hood
Powder compauy's plant at swanton blew
up with terrific force at 2 O'Clock this af-
ternoon, killing one man and completely
wrecking ana destroying the plant The
force Of the explosion was terrific, baild-
ings rocked on their foundations all over
the village and glass was smashed from
windows by the cOHcussion. The damage
to the property Will not amount to over
81, 500, but the principal loss to the COM
pany and one that cannot be accurately
estimated win be the loss In business, the
company having large orders on hand for
near delivery
The powder manufacturing plant Of the
company. which was destroyed, consisted
OF five bindings, all Of which were blown
To pieces or burned up. The trouble start
Ell ID what is known as the mixing de-.
partment, IN which but one man, Blair
happened to be working at the time. This
explosion came and Blair was blown to
atoms, while two men, John Tousew and
William Donaldson, who were working in
the next room, only Is feet away and sep
araEed By thin board partition, escaped
without a scratch. The only plausible
reason which can be given for the expIo-
sion Is that Blair used an iron hammer In
pounding something and the two men who
escaped say that the explosion instantly
followed the pounding they heard ia the
mixing room.
The force Of the explosion was from
north to south and the wrecking of this
building was followed by fierce FIRE
which spread rapidly over the entire
works, while the working force Of about
Is ran for dear life. That the entire force
OF help was not blown to eternity ii the
greatest wonder Especially strange Is the
escape of the men, Donaldson and Tou-
sew who were practically in the same
room
MI Dunbar was the first physician to
arrive and Immediately commenced to
dress the wounds'of Mr. Mountain. fore
man of the powder works, and John Tou-
sew, an emplaye. who were The most seri-
ousIy injured They were burned about
the face and hands. Shortly afterwards
Drs. Cross and Leach arrived and offered
their assistance If 1t was needed.
The only building Of the company's
plant Id the vicinity which did not 90 WAS
the strongly built and heavily walled poW-
der magazine, which was located farthest
away and in which were stored about So
tons of powder. III This had gone, rs ey-
eryene expected it would. Swant8n would
have pretty much gone off tbs map.
Blair, tile man who met sueh a horrible
death, was about 30 years old and leaves d
wife and three young children. He had
been employed by the company for abauf a
year aud was much esteemed by his em-
pl0yers
The scenes about the premises after the
explosion were we'll nigh indeseribahie.
Everywhere was wreck, ruin, fire and dis.
aster The buildings had literally been
blown to siivers Or burned fiat, while their
sheet iron covering was torn to shreds
and remnants were scattered IN all diree.
tiuns for hundreds of rods. a sorrowful
sight was the body of seareheTs among the
ruins trying to find pieces Of the remains
Of the unfortunate Blair.
The terrific boom Of the explosion, fol-
lowed hy the sheets Of fire. announced te
the people Of Swanton mile away, what
had happened and in 4 few minutes near.
III the entire population was on its way te
the scene of death and disaster. All the
doctors III the town hurried to the scene
to render aid but fortunately their services
were not needed. Many buildings in Swan.
ton were rocked and shaken like reeds
while the glass tumbled from the windows
and many thought the end had come,
The company viii without doubt rebuild
its plant at once, as their product Is il
great and ever increasing demand and they
have more orders than they can FIJI.