The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-10-25
Powder Mills at FOntanet, Ind, Ex-
ploded Killing SO and Wound
ing 600 People.
TRREEDISTINCT XPLOSIOHS
The Conclusion Was Felt 200 Miles
Away ard Buildings Two Miles
Distant We're Destroyed and
Occupants Injured.

Fontanet, Ind, oct. 16.--Between %
and so dead; 600 Injured, and city of
1000 people wiped out. Such is the
fate which overlook Fontanet Tuesday
when the Dupont powder works ex-
pioded. Where stood a thriving and
busy town Of 1000 people Tuesday
morning, Tuesday night there was
ruin and scattered wreckage. The
dead and more seriously injured have
been taken away. Five hundred in
habitants, all more or less wounded,
remain to gathsr their scattered
household goods and sleep under
tents, guatded by soldiers Of the
state Without warning the powder
mills, seven in number, blew up at
9:15 Tuesday morning. They en-
ployed 200 men ana of these 70 were
at work when the first explosion oc-
Cured in the press mill. In quick
succession the glazing mill, the two
coming mills and the powder mage
zine blew up, followed by the cap mill.
In the magazine situated several hun
bred yards from the mlu, were stored
1000 kegs of powder. The concussion
when it blew up was felt 200 miles
away. Every house in this town was
destroyed. Farm houses two miles
away and school houses equally dis
tant were torn to ieces and their oc-
cupants injured. Indianapolis and
even Cincinnati felt the shock. A pas
senger train on The Big -Four railroad
four miles away hac every coach win
dow broken and several 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 magazines
went up. Immediately following the
explosions the wreckage took fire and
the inhabitants O the town who
rushed to the rescue of the mill en-
ployes found them selves powerless to
aid those burning N the ruins. they
worked frantically III constant danger
from possible succeeding explosions
unmindful of thei" ruined homes
Dead and dying v re picked up and
collected. Eighteen bodies horribly
burned and mangl,l were carted to a
protected spot to await Identification
while the badly in,Gred numbering up
ward of so were put on special train
and taken to Terra Haute for hos
pital Accommodations.
Scarcely one of the 1000 Inhabitants
of the town but carried blood on hands
and face from his own wounds or
those of people who had required aid.
Fontanet, Ind, Oct. 17.-Thirty-eight
lives snuffed out, 600 injured, of which
number so were seriously hurt, and a
property loss of approximately $780,
600 is the latest estimate of the de-
struction wrought h the explosion at
the Dupont powder mills Tuesday
morning. From a workman employed
in the glazing mill it was learned
that a 'hot-box" which was caused by
too much friction on the shafting caus-
ing sparks to be transmitted to some
loose powder, was in all probability
the cause of the terrible catastrophe
The employe whose name is William
Sherrow and who 10 dangerously hurt
as the result of the explosion said
"The explosion was caused by loose
boxing on the SHAFT. The day before
this terrible explosion happened, we
had to throw water on IL when II be
came too hot. This time IL got too hot
and sent of the sparks that caused the
explosion" So. ~,