The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-12-27
POWDER MILL
BLOWN UP
Acadia Mills Explosion Near
Halifax.
20 EMPLOYEES INJURED
All the Windows in the Town OF
WaverIy Broken By the
Conclusion.
20 EMPLOYEES INJURED

HALIFAX. \. s.. Dec. IA por
ton of the Acadia Powder company
works at Wayerly. ten miles from this
city, blew up yesterday. and the con
cussion shook the country and broke
windows for twenty miles around. For
tunately no one was killed or even Sc
riously injured, although about twenty
OF the employees, who had scarcely left
the building, which was demolished,
were thrown violently to the ground
and stunned
The plant is situated a mile outside
of Waverly. Yet every window in the
town was broken, and many people on
the streets were cut by the shower OF
broken glass. The property loss at the
Acadia works was estimated at SO
600.
The explosion occurred at 1870
o'clock in the morning in small build
ing known as the dryhouse in which
about Il ton of powder was stored. and
Is believed 10 have been due to over
heating although President r. II. Cue
Of the company stated that shortly he
fore the accident the thermometer reg
istered only 100 degrees.
About twenty of the men, oue-fifth
of the ordinary force employed at the
works, had just left one of the build.
inss and were rods off when the dry
house blew up. The conclusion threw
them violently to the ground, demol-
ished half a dozen other buildings close
by the dryhouse. but did not explode
the powder in the magazine. although
that building was partially wrecked.
A hole several feet deep was blown in
the ground.
The men regained consciousness
after few seconds and, expecting 9th
er explosions, ran off to safe distance.
About a quarter of mile off was the
house of Robert Layton, the manager
of the plant, and this was very badly
damaged All the windows were blown
out, while the plaster in nearly every
room was shaken down. Miss Marga-
ret Layton. who was sitting in a room
on the second floor, was hurled from
her chair and rendered unconscious,
but recovered later.
In Waverly windows We're broken,
and the glass falling outward. as is
usual in explosions, was showered upon
passing citizens, and many received
small cuts. People in that town rush
ed from their houses fearing that other
explosions would follow and that the
town would be wrecked, and il was
some time before they were treasured.
The effect of the explosion in this
city was quite marked. and for IA time
1t was thought that an earthquake had
taken place. Later came the word
from Waverley of the exact cause.
The shock was severe enough in this
city to break many large plate glass
windows in the business section and
throw open locked doors. AT one of
the houses of the fire department the
large front doors were burst open and
partially damaged. In many houses
articles were thrown to the floor from
tables and shelves, and in some N
stances furniture was broken.
Similar reports were received from |
three miles from the powder
plant and from Renfrew, Oldham and |
other small towns situated up the val
ley toward the scene of the explosion
1t was feared that some of the EN-
ployees had been killed, but later in the
day all were accounted for, and so far
as known there was no one else about
the works or in the immediate vicinity
at the time.
Had the explosion occurred on an or
imary working day many would I'M
have been killeA.