Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-14
Associated Press Dispatches, special wirs,

Associated Press Dispatcher 6peci Al Wires.
Bridgeport, Conn. MAY i4.-The ex-
plnsion of four magazines. containing
about 100000 pounds of powder. elti-
nted ON Success Hill, In the northern part
of Bridgeport. early this morning. shook
up this section as If by an earthquake. but
remarkable as IL may seem, no person Is
thought TO have been injured and tho
property damage is chiefly limited 20 the
demolition of windows in houses and
business buildings in tho city and subur-
ban sections. The magazines we're In
the storage grounds of the Union Metallic
Cartridge Co. and were owned 10y the
company. They were OF frail oonstruc-
ton and were four of 10 such buildings
used for the storage of black and smoke
less powder Two magazines which were
dctroycd contained smokeless powder and
the other two black powder. A fifth
magazine was practically demolished. but
the cans of powder in il were not disturbed
The cause Of the explosion is not vet de-
termined by the company The demoli-
tion of the magazines came Ia two sepa-
rate explosions, the FIRST and heavier one
at 40 O'Clock and lasting about 80 sec
onds, and the second one about q minute
later which was not as pronounced, but
which seemed to have completed the
shattcring OF windows which had been
broken by the first conclusion.
The storage grounds of tho Union Me-
talic Co. are remote, tho nearest house
being the town farm, third of a mile
away. No one is known 10 have been
/ IN the vicinity Of the magazines this morn
/ ing When the explosion came, a panic
seized the 250 inmates Of the almshouse
and many Of them ran, screaming, into
the field and several insane patients
escaped. The chimney on tho Building
was thrown down and an the glass in the
windows was blown out, but, as heavy
as the shock was, il was not felt quite
as severely there as in the city proper
were people, in the belief that an EARTH
quake had come, were seized with a de-
sire to get out into the open. The ex-
citoment in the almshouse was ended in
few minutes, and the frightened people
were called back and the insane patients
were rounded up by the attendants.
The full force OF the explosion was felt
in the city proper, and apparently there
is not a single large pane Of plate glass
left in business buildings. As for private
residences, but few escaped without broke
windows. The damage seems 70 be CON
fined to broken glass, and already the
Union Metallic Cartridge Co. has given
notice that property ouncrs will be COM
ponsated for damage Of this nature Im-
mediately after the explosion the people
of Bridgeport seemed certain that an
earthquake had visited them. and the
scenes on the street were exciting. Hun
dreds of residents ran outdoors in their
night clothes. carrying q few belongings
Mothers carried their crying infants, and
men lranicaly ran about, making in
quiries The pandemonium, however.
I lasted but q short time, as word quickly
went about that there had been an ex-
plosion. The people, however continued
] IN nervous state for several hours, being
in fear of further explosions. The city
WAS early flooded with inquiries from
other places for particulars Of the dis
I turhanco which there had even more
resemblance TO an earthquake than
locally From all parts OF the State
came word that the shocks were felt with
| force enough TO awaken people from
sound slumbcr.
New Haven, Conn, May 1.-Two
shocks from the Bridgeport powder ex-
plosion we're felt very distinctly in this
city Windows ratified and in some
houses dishes were shaken from shelves.
IL WIS at first thought that the shocks
were caused by an earthquake.
The force Of the explosion was felt in
many parts OF the State.
Fastport. N. Y, May 1.-Two dis
finct shocks. coinciding in time with the
Bridgeport powder explosions and 30
violent as to send almost the entire popu-
lation Of this village into the streets in
their night clothing, were felt here today.
Houses we're Jared, dishes ratified, beds
shook and almost immediately every sort
of domestic animal and fowl set up a
/ 49, = I,.t,l h,lf an hourV