Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1907-10-17
FONTANET IS WIPED 0U1|
Powder Explosions Cause Aw.
full Results.
DEATH LIST Is LENGTHY.
Every Structure In the Town Utterly
Destroyed. About Thirly-Five Souls
ushered Into Eternity and Some Sin
Hundred Injured.

Terre Haute. Ind, Oct. lG.-As the
result Of an explosion In the Dupont
powaer mills at Fontanet. eighteen
miles from here. about thirty.five per
sons lost their lives and some COG
were Injured Five OF the dead pass
ed away In the hospital here The ex.
act property loss and correct number
Of dead will not be known for several
days.
Governor Hanley arrived at 1905
o'clock Tuesday evening. and immedi
ately took charge OF the situation. and
late at night proclaimed martial law
The governor ordered all places where
intoxicating drinks Of any kind are sold
closed
The town is practically wiped out
Not a building stands intact. and
throughout Tuesday fires kIndled the
ruins cost the lives OF the manned
pinned In the wreckage and added 10
the terrifying scenes OF obstruction.
Hospitals and homes in Terre Haute
were thrown open for the care OF the
injured. Relief trains. carrying ply.
sicians and supplies were hurried to
the scene. and the injured were
brought 10 this city.
While hurrying To 81. Anthony hos
pitai the city ambulance was struck
by a street car and wrecked No one
was injured. but II Is feared the shock
will be fatal TO the explosion victims
who were In the ambulance.
Citizens at once subscribed more
than 81 600 20 the relief fund, and the
city council. in special session. appro
priaied $4,000 TO be expended In re.
lleving rhe suffering.
Assistant Superintendent Nash. who
was seriously injured about the head
and hips, is al a hospital. He said he
knew nothing after the explosion un.
III he was picked up on a nearby hill
about 100 yards distant from the plant
by helping hands. who tenderly car.
ried him 10 the Big Four relief train
and brought him 10 Terre Haute.
Mr. Nash said the loss Of the plant
woa!d he more than 100000. He stat.
ed that this was not the first explo.
sion Of 'ho plant. In the nine years
he has been In the plant savsnteenI
persons had been killed Trouble has
been experienced in the pa few DAYS
with The shaft In the girsIng room
Several tunes the shaft has become
overheatad. and has caused the stop
ping Of the machinery There were
3l,l0o kegs OF powder In the magazine
In the department. according 10 Mr..
Nash
The mills went up with three dis !
tinct explosions followed ninety min. |
utos later by a fourth. even more
serious than the others. when the mag.
azine went up Immediately following /
the explosion the wreckage took fire, !
and the inhabitants OF the town who /
rushed 90 the rescue OF the mill en-. /
ployes found themselves powerless 10 /
~ those burning in the ruins They
"orhtu itdtucaus, Iu ,-,ns,a.., ,.......
from possible succeeding explosions
OF their ruined homes Dead I
and dying were picked up and collect.
3D. Eighteen bodies horribly burned
md mangled were carried to a protect
ID spot 10 await Identification. while
he badly injured. numbering upward
" nifty, were put on a special train
Ind brought here for hospital accom-.
nodations. Scarcely one OF the | 900
OF the town hut carried
Hood on hands and face from his own
wounds Or wounds OF those of people
Who had required aid The mills were
ocated one mile south OF town.
When the heat from the burning
Mills exploded the giant powder maya.
Inc ninety minutes later. destroying
he town by conclusion. many OF those
ngaged In relief work were badly in.
ured and several killed. Superintend.
MT Monahan OF the plant was killed
While sitting In his office. and his wife
nd siste--in-law were killed In their I.
ONE, some distance away. That the
cath list II not greater is due 10 the
act that the people OF the town had Z
sft their houses at the first explosion. :
nd were lot in them when the explo.
ion of 10000 kegs OF powder In the
Magazine hurled their homes TO pieces
nd scattered their household goods
! heaps OF debris.
Among the buildings totally destroy
4 were the Methodist and Christian
iurches. two public school buildings.
le depot. all business blocks. includ. :
g a large block just completed.
rge warehouse and $40 homes. In
any OF them the fronts were blown :
way, while In others the roofs were )
irled into space.hte sides blown out (
ID left In n confused mass OF wreck z
'e
a Big Four railroad freight train l
the switch leading TO the mills was
riially destroyed and the wreckage ;
ught fire. Engineer Charles Wells =
IS badly burned and received a frac
~ of the right leg. =
A four-room school building was torn "
pieces az Fontanet. and not one :
the 600 children escaped unhurt
two-room school building at Coal \
lff was turned over and collapsed
e teacher and ninety pupils were
're or less injured.
The force OF the explosion DESTROY
all telephone communication with
iside towns. and Il was with great
nculty that aid was reached. Tern Al
ute ami Brazil sent physicians and q
rses with sunplies In carriages and