The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-10-20
An Effort Is Now Being Made
To Adjust All Claims
Satisfactorily.
TWO SIDES TO QUESTION.
TRAINS AND WAGONS ARE BRING.
ING IN BUILDING MATERIAL
-oLD METHODIST CHURCH
COLIAPSES.

Fontanet. Ind. Occ. 19.-The future
of the powder-wrecked town of Fon-
tanet hangs in the balance. Confer
ences between Alfred |. DUPONT. vice.
president of the DUPONT Powder com-
pany. and the citizens began today and
an effort will be made to adjust all
claims satisfactorily. If attempts at
extortion are apparent in any case. q
committee of disinterested appraisers
will make an estimate of the damages
and settlement will thus be reached.
The DuPonts will not discuss their
plans for the future until all the claims
OF citizens have been adjusted.
No Decision as to Rebuilding Mills.
The question of rebuilding the pow
der mills will not be settled until Mr..
dupont returns to Wilmington for
conference with the executive COM
mittee of the company. At that time
the advisability of restoring the de-
stroyed plant on its former site will be
discussed. The objections of the peo-
pie to the plant will be considered.
The majority of the citizens of the
town were dependent on the powder
mills for support, although a large
patronage came from the surrounding
mines.
One hears two sides of the powder
mill story every time it is mentioned
where a group of citizens is assem-
bled. The conservative people say
| they wish the powder mills rebuilt for
business reasons. The radicals de-
clare against the mills and an argu-
ment over benefits and damages in.
variably follows.
Citizens HopeIessiy Divided.
| The people seem to be hopelessly di-
vided on the question. The truth Is
that scores of the men who are pro-
testing against the powder mills are
those who uuilt homes in the very
mouth of the ravine where the powder
mills were located.
The work of rebuilding the town will
go on with a rush. Men bearing car
penters' tools, trowels and other build.
ing tools are coming in from surround
ing towns to do the work that must be
done before snow flies. If cold wealth.
er came suddenly the stricken people
would suffer intensely as there 10
scarcely a tenable house in the town
or near it. The tents the state has
furnished the homeless are not of suf-
ficient weight to withstand rain or
heavy wind. There is great need of
bed clothing and bedding
Methodist Church coIIapses.
Trains and wagons are bringing in
building material, and the streets. now
cleared of debris. are being filled with
the material for construction. The
streets suffered another attack of de.
bris yesterday afternoon. howeve-,
stands in the main street of the town,
collapsed and scattered itself over the
highway. Fortunately, no one was
near the building at the time and no
injuries resulted. A few minutes be.
fore the crash several men had gone
into the building to carry flour to re-
lief headquarters. The old building
was used as storage house for the
Coal Bluff Mining company's store.
The crash startled the town, for 1t rails.
ed a great cloud of dust
Removing Powder from Corning Mill.
The work of clearing up the debris
in the valley where the powder mills
stood, began yesterday. Workmen
were kept busy all day clearing a road
way through the valley. While this
was being done, another squad Of men
was at work removing 10000 pounds o.
damaged powder from the east corning
mill, which was the only part of the
plant left standing, and it is a half
mile from the main mills, and was
protected by a hill.
The east corning mill was damaged
but did not go up with the rest of the
plant, although it was expected to go
at any moment after the explosion.
The 10000 pounds of unfinished pow.
der in this mill did not explode, which
is regarded as remarkable, and as soon
as it became possible guard was
thrown around 1t to prevent curious
spectators going into it with lighted
cigars.