The Colorado statesman., 1907-10-19
80 ARE KILLED
IN EXPLOSION
ENTIRE VILLAGE THROWN INTO
STATE OF CONFUSION AND
MANY ARE INJURED.
BODIES BURNED CRISF
SURVIVORS OF 500 INHABITANTS
OF THE PLACE LEFT WITH
OUT HOMES.

Brazil, Ind-From twenty-five t,
thirty persons dead and dying, 100 per
sons injured, and every house in Fon-
tanet destroyed, rendering several
hundred people homeless, is the result
of an explosion of powder in the mills
of the Du Pont Powder Company, near
Fontanet, at 9:15 o'clock Tuesday.
The first explosion occurred in the
glazing mill Of the plant. Quickly fol-
lowing the other mills blew up, there
being three distinct conclusions at in
tervals of few minutes.
In the mills at the time seventy five
to eighty men were at work. When
the glazing mill went up, the men ran
for their lives from the other mills
and many thus escaped death, but re-
ceived serious injuries. At the first
explosion the inhabitants of the town
ran from the buildings and thus saved
themselves. No one was killed In the
town, although there is not building
left standing.
Magazine Blows Up.
At 1O:45, ninety minutes after the
first explosion, the heat from the burn
ing mills exploded the great powder
magazine situated in a hollow several
hundred yards from the mills. 1t con
tanned many thousand kegs of powder
and the conclusion was even greater
than those from the explosions Of the
mills.
Among tHose injured from the mag
azine explosion were several pnysi
clans who were at work among the
dead and dying.
A freight train standing on the sid
ing leading to the powder mills was
partly destroyed by the concussion
and took fire.
The heat from the burning mills and
freight train was SO great that it was
impossible to remove many OF the
bodies from the wreckage. Eighteen
mangled bodies were taken to the
morgue to await Identification. In
jured were found scattered every
where and were collected and relie'
given as rapidly as possible.
Not House Standing.
Not house is left standing In the
town. Fronts, roofs sides and ever
the foundations of many buildings
have been blown to atoms. Great holes
are torn in the ground, fences have
vanished and house goods from the
ruined. homes are in confused heap!
of debris in all directions.
The people of the town, who hat
rushed from their homes at the frs
explosion, were saved because of this
The shock from the exploding maga
zine wrecked the buildings in the
town.
The first body taken from the
wrecked mills was that of DIR. Carroll
an employe. 1t was burned almos
to a crisp. but the man was still alive
and begged for someone to shoot hin
and put him out of his misery. HI
lived but few minutes.
Father and Son Die Together.
The bodies of two other employees
Yes Dial and his son, were found neal
Carroll. VIII Dalton was found uncon
scious, his body badly mangled. HI
cannot live. Charles Wells, enginee
on the freight train Is badly injured
He is burned and his left leg is frac
tured.
A brick school building a quarter O
a mile from the mills, was wrecked
and many Of the children within were
injured, some seriously, but none ia
tally. A farmhouse three-quarters O.
a mile away was totally destroyed.
Fontanet is mining town of 800 in
habitants, situated on the Big Foul
railroad, eighteen miles east of Terr,
Haute and twelve miles from here.
The explosion interrupted telephone
communication with outside points
Assistance was asked for at once ant
physicians with bandages left botf
places in carriages and automobile!
to render aid.
Superintendent Monahan of thu
mills is missing and Is believed Il
have been blown TO pieces and hi
body burned.