Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-10-18
THiRTY-FIVE DEAD
Lowest Estimate of Fatalities
In the Fontanet Explosion
AT LEAST 900 INJURED
Once Thriving Town Reduced to
Wreckage by Explosion of Powder
MilIs-School Buildings Two Miles
Distant Destroyed by the Shock

Mills--School Buildings Two Miles
Distant Destroyed by the Shock
Fontanct, Ind, oct. 16.-The NUM-
Der of dead as the result of the explo-
sion of the Dupont powder mills here
yesterday is believed to be 80. OF
these five died in hospitals at Terre
Haute last night. At least GOO were in
jurcd, and Il large amount of property
was destroyed. The exact number of
dead and injured, along with the prop
erty loss, will not be known for several
days.
Governor Hanley arrived at 1870
O'Clock last night and took charge of
the situation and later proclaimed
martial law. The governor ordered all
places where liquor or intoxicating
drinks are sold shall be closed.
The town is practically wiped out.
Not building stands intact and
throughout the day fires kindled in the
ruins cost the lives of several persons
who were pinned in the wreckage
Where stood thriving and busy
town of 1000 people there is ruin and
scattered wreckage. The dead and
moro seriously injured have been taken
away. Five hundred inhabitants, all
m ore or less wounded, remain to gather
their scattered household goods and
sleep under tents and on cots, guarded
by soldiers of the state.
Without warning the powder mills,
seven in number. blew up yesterday
They employed POO men. and of these
20 were at work when the first eXplo-
sion occurred in the press mill. In
quick succession the glazing MILL the
two coming mills and the powder maya
zine blew up. followed by the cap
mill. IN the magazine, situated sev-
eral hundred yards from the mills
were stored 10000 kegs of powder.
When i blew up the conclusion was
felt nearly 200 miles away
FalmhouscS two miles away and
schoo.houScS equally distant were torn
TO pieces and their occupants injured.
A passenger train four miles away had
every coach window broken and sew
era passengers Were injured by flying
glass
The mills went up with three dis
tinct explosions. followed 90 minutes
later by fourth, even more serious
than the others. when the magazine
went up. Immediately following the
explosions the wreckage caught fire
and she inhabitants Of the town who
rushed to the rescue of the mill EN-
ployes found themselves powerleSs to
aid those burning in the ruins.
They worked frantically. in con
slant danger from possible succeeding
explosions. unmindfu of their ruined
homes Dead and dying were picked
up and collected. Eighteen bodies
burned ana mangled, were carried to 4
protected spot to await identification
while the badly injured, numbering up
ward of 30, were put on IA special trair
and taken to Terre IIaute for hospita
treatment.
Nearly all of the 1000 inhabitant,
carried blood on their hands and face
from their own wounds or those o.
Others whom they assisted.
The mills were located one mil,
south Of the town With the first OK
plosiou the employees ran for safety
but most of them We're killed or wound
ed by the quickly following explosion
in The other mills. When the heat from
the Burning mills exploded the giAn
powder magazine latter, practically d'
stroy NJ the town by the conclusion
many Of those engaged in rescue wor
were badly injured ana several killed.
superintendent Monah1n of the plan
was Killed while sitting in the Office
and his wife and siStcr-.n-laW WEI
killed in their home some diStanC
away That the death list Is not IA
greater is due To the fact that the pee
ple of the town had left their houS,
ar the firvt explosion and We're not
them when the explosion Of the Il
900 kegs Of powder in the magaZh
shattered their homes and piled the
household goods I'm heaps of debris
Among the buildings totally doStro
cd III this town were the Methodist ~
Christian churches. the depot. all In.
moss blocks. including "a large bio,
Just completed, large warehouse an
500 residences.
The fronts and sides of many ",
blown away. the roofs of others we
hurled INTO space. while some were
duved 10 mass of collapsed wret
age.
Three school buildings were
NtrOycd. Two at Foutanet ana one
Goa Bln1, two miles away. All ",
6lled with school children ana eve
one Of these were more or less iniul
by the collapse of the buildings.
y four-roOm Schoolhouse was torn
pieces and not one Of the 200 childl
escaped unhurt. None was fata
hurt. The school building at Coal III
WAS turned over and collapsed. 7