Warren sheaf., 1905-09-14
MILLS BLOWN UP;
50 PERSONS perish
POWDER EXPLOSION AT FATE
CHANCE, PA, SHAKES EARTH
FOR Many MILES.
PANIC IN TOWNS WHERE
AWFUL BLAST is FELT
Rescuers Rush to Scene, But Possi-
bility Of Another Crash Drives
Them Away-Not a Vestige Of
Ten Buildings Left. 4

Fairchance, Pa, Sept. 11.-With a re-
port that could be heard for a ra.
olus of Is miles, the Rand powder
works, located here, blew up Satur-
day morning, causing, it is believed,
over 80 deaths and considerable fnan-
cial damage. So far nearly q score
of bodies have been taken from the
ruins. and it is said there are as many
more bodies still under the debris.
Hundreds of people have volunteered
for rescue work, but progress Is slow
and 1t will be some time before the
casualties are known. The explosion
occurred In a car of powder end was
followed few moments later by an
other and heavier one when the ,dames
ignited the large magazine. The con
cussion of the second explosion was 80
great that telephone, telegraph and
trolley wires were blown down, inter
rupting all Communication with the
scene Of the catastrophe. Persons
within radius Of IL miles heard the
explosion and knew that the powder
works had blown up. Every vehicle
in the surrounding vicinity waa
pressed into service and soon hundreds
of people were gathered about the
ruins aiding in the work Of rescue.
The bodies recovered were burned al.
most beyond recognition. Manager
Rand, Of the Rand powder works, was
seriously hurt and was taken to his
home at Uniontown, Pa.
Train Nearly Blown from Track.
A passenger train on the Baltimore
& Ohio railroad, northbound from
Morgantown to Connellsville, which
was passing the works when tho first
explosion occurred was almost thrown
from the track by the concussion,
which broke all the windows and
caused panic among the passengers,
several of whom were injured by fly.
ing glass. Opposite the powder works
the tracks of the Pennsylvania and
Baltimore & Ohio railroads have been
blown up. For mile around Fair.
chance buildings have been blown over
and at Uniontown, Pa. seven miles
from the explosion. hundreds Of win.
dOws have been broken. A large sky.
light in the courthouse at Uniontown
was smashed and there was a panic
among the occupants to escape from
the building. Damage was done at
Connellsville, Mount Pleasant and
Scotdale, and in hundreds of homes
the dishes fell from the cupboards and
pictures were thrown from the walls.
Twelve bodies removed from the
ruins of the Rand powder works are:
Homer Humphries, Clyde Woods,
James Breakiron, George Lewellyn,
William Lewellyn, Elmer Hughes,
Fred Walterstraw, Fred Walterstraw,
Jr., Charles Bartlett, Charles Elfritz,
Frank Ryland and Walter Hughes.
Not Vestige Of Buildings.
Not a vestige Of the ten buildings
that made up the big powder works re.
mains standing. The debris took fire
and two cars Of dynamite that could
not be removed from the vicinity of
the ruins were momentarily expected
to go up. Thousands of people rushed
to the scene Of the explosion within
half an hour after it happened
Uniontown sent hundreds of rigs and
the surrounding country turned out en-
masse. They returned panic-stricken,
fearful Of another explosion from the
dynamite cars that might add further
terror and swell the death list to
greater proportions
Scene One Of Horror.
The scene in the neighborhood OF
the powder plant Is one Of horror. The
debris is strewn about for a great
distance, and pieces of human bodies
are among the wreckage. Large holes
were made in the ground by the force
Of the explosion.
Ray Hevner, who was in the keg
shop when the explosion occurred, es-
capped, and says that he heard the loud
report, and the first thing he knew
the kegs Of powder from the floor above
MIN began to roll down and missiles
few In the air. Hevner and two others
ran out and across the street car
tracks and escaped, but Elmer Hughes,
who was also there, was killed. Hev-
ner thinks the first explosion was in
the pack house.
Panic Throughout County.
Uniontown, Pa, Sept 1.-THE pow
der. plant explosion at Fairchance Sat