The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-20
FOUR KILLED BY BY EXPLOSION AT
 DYNAMITE HOUSE Bits of Flesh Hurled in Every DireCti0n-Dead Are
 All Strangers
LARGEST PIECE OF BODY
 FOUND WEIGHED 15 LBS.
Yesterdays Accident Makes the Third Bad Explosion Within Two Weeks at the 5oyIes
 Gap Plant.

the past two weeks occurred at the punching house of the E. I. DuPont Powder company yesterday morning about 9:3O o'clock, blowing the bodies of four white workmen into small bits, and com pletely destroying the dynamite plarrt where the explosion occurred. The dead are:
 William Reynolds of Lewisburg Harry Hall of Philadelphia. George Bach of Chicago.
 Herman Schlegel, who came here recent ly from Germany.
 Very little is known of the men who lost their lives in the accident, but as far is known none of them were men of families. With the exception of Reynolds all of the men are recent arrivals in Bir- mingham, their homes being, 1t is thought in the north. It was at first stated that Reynolds lived with his family at Lew isburg, but the supposed relatives could not be found.
 All of the men who were killed were operators in the punching house and are supposed to have been punching dyna- mite at the time the terrific explosion oc- cured. The punching house was only small cheaply constructed wooden house of one room, and other than the loss of the machine the property loss will be very slight to the powder company. Cause of Explosion Unknown.
 The mill contained at the time of the explosion about 300 pounds of dynamite, all of which was within a few feet of where the four men were at work. As is the case in all similar explosions, the cause of the terrible accident Is unknown. The men who work in the places are con- stantly in danger of their lives even when there Is no machinery running. It is sup posed that the plant was running as us ual when the explosion occurred yes terday and whether there was a fault with the mechanism that caused the ac- cident Is not, and very probably will never be known.
 When the explosion occurred the shock caused by it was felt for miles around. People in the immediate vicinity of the dynamite plant were attracted by the shock and there was soon a large crowd on the scene. In Lewisburg and Boyles Gap, both of which places are close to | lue pidult tilc SliOSh lioiii tho 1 explosion was very severe. The tremb- ling of the earth alarmed everybody in the vicinity. and In number of the houses near the plant, window panes were shaken out, chimneys twisted and other damage done.
 The shock was distinctly felt in all parts of North Birmingham. and there was a faint trembling all over the north side of Birmingham.
 Soon after the explosion there were several physicians on the scene, but there was nothing for them to do other than to assist in the search for the mangled l pieces of the bodies of the dead men. A search was made and at first nothing was found but the knee cap of one of the men. Later, however. most of the remains of the unfortunate workmen were found scattered about, pieces being pick ed up as far as 300 feet away from where the little building stood
 The arrangement of the room in which the men were working caused the bodies to be all blown in opposite directions. There were two men, each working in corner of the room on one side, large quantity of the explosive and the machine in the middle, and the other two workmen were on the other side of the room. When tho dynamite went off 1t simply blew out on all sides from the middle and sent machinery, bits of wood, 1 and fragments of human frames in every direction.
 Particles In Every Direction.
 The horror of the explosion is revealed by the parts of the bodies which were found later in the day, after careful search over the ground for 300 feet around The biggest piece of flesh found did not weigh over fifteen pounds and only one piece that large was discov- cred. One mans shoulder was found some distance away from the plant. Pieces of the head, mangled arms, and bits Of flesh which could not be identified were scattered everywhere, and 1t is said that one mans upper lip with a mustache on 1t was found separated from the head
 The punching house which blew up yes terday is located at the same spot where an explosion, identcally the same as this one. occurred about two years ago. It | is known as punCnlnB HouSO 4Nc' I oA tHo Sterling Dynamite company, which is the property of the Dupont company. Five men, four white and one colored, were killed in the accident two years ago.
 Third Accident In Two Weeks. The accident at the Dupont plant yes- terday was the third explosion of simi- lar nature within the last two weeks. | About two weeks ago the coinlng mill of the Dupont Powder company blew up, shortly after midnight. apparently without any cause, and two men were blown into atoms. Two or three nights ago one of the mills at the Jefferson Powder company was blown all to pieces | and the one last night was the third of | the series of explosions.
 | The pieces of the bodies were gathered l LID yesterday afternoon and carried to the | undertaking establishment of I. l.. Mack ! ey at North Birmingham, where they will | be held until arrangements are made by | the relatives of the unfortunate men for 1 their interment.
 | S1r Ioh. w Turner