The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-09-20
MILL WIPED GUT.
Nineteen Of the Employees Were Kill
ed by the Explosion,
A Train On the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Ead Narrow Escape
from DestI uction.
from Destruction.

The Rard Powder mills at Fair
chance, six miles south OF Un1ontown,
Pa were entirely wiped out by an ex-
plosion at 9.05 o'clock Saturday. OF
she 80 men who went to work In the
mill Saturday morning, 19 are known
to be dead. OF these 13 have been
ident fed. Nine men, including G.
NJ. Band, manager Of the plant, were
seriously Injured.
Scores OF people in the town OF
Fairchalce, within half a mile OF the
powder mills, were more or less pain
fully injured. The shock OF the e1-
olos1on was distinctly felt in Connells-
Vile, 20 miles away, buildings being
rocked on their foundation. At Un.
iontown hundreds OF panes OF glass
we're broken. In the town OF Fair
chance there is scarcely house that
did not suffer damage.
Train No. So on the Baltimore and
O 10 had a narrow escape from amt
nilstioD. It had just passed the Band
mills when the explosion occurred.
The viii dows in the passenger coacnes
we're shattered and passengers thrown
into panic Had the train been a
few seconds late it would have been
blown up as the mills were in a few
rods of the tracks. A street car on
the West Pennsylvania railroad had
also pissed just few seconds before
the explosion AMI was far enough to
escape damage, though it was derail-
ed.
There were seven explosions in all.
Every one OF the ten buildings was
totally demolished. Nota vestlage OF
chem remain Satul d4y night. The
debris that YVES streWn over the ten
acres ct ground were the plant was
located took fire soon after the explo-
sion and added it's terrors to the dis
aster. The disnembered parts Of the
dsad were burned in many instances.
Identification Of many was made by
parts OF clothing alone. The first
three explosions were not as serious as
the last four. Then the packing
house, pressing room and magazine
blew up, followed by two cars Of dyna-
mite standing on a nearby railroad
siding which were set of by the cen
cussion from the powder mill explo-
siors.
Two other cars remained intact an0
it was With difficulty that they were
moved to a place OF safety after the
explosion. When the bodies were re-
covered the work OF Identification was
very difficult. Small pieces Of bodies
we're picked up all over the place.
These were not collected together and
many sections OF bodies we're thrown
back into the debris where they were
found. Almost halt mile mountain.
ward from the plant an Office ever
sleeve, wet with blood was picked up.
This is the third explosion at the
Band plant within tbs past Gwo years.
Three neu were killed in the first ex-
plosion. Two were hurt in the Sec
ond, which was only sligat. A few
months sgo the citizens OF Fairchance
had an Injunction served on the Rand
powder firm asking the court that the
firm be compelled to move their works
from that vicinity. They claimed the
town OF Faircnancs and the safety OF
it's cis:zcns were jeopsrdized by the
locati3n OF the pant so close to the
town. Tails Injunction Is still pend
ing In the Superior co lrt.