The Washington herald., 1907-10-16

IerTe Haute, Ind, Oct. 15.-Between
sixty and eighty persons were killed.
more than 500 injured, and the entire
town Of Fontanet, twelve miles from this
city, destroyed by the explosion of the
Dupont Powder Mills to-day.
Hundreds were MANNED. many Of them
women and children. and number viii
die. Aid to the stricken people is being
rushed by special trains from surround
ing cities, and Gov. Handy has ordered
supplies by the State
Owing to the inadequacy Of arrange
ments for caring for the injured at
Fontanet, they are being taken 20 hos
pitals in other cities. while fifty ply
sicians are on the scene. giving temporary
relief 10 the sufferers Fontanet is a
mining town Of l,5OO people. and the Du-
pont Powder Mills, comprised of seven
buildings. were situated near the edge
of the town. These seven structures were
blown to atoms, and it is believed Of
the -seventy-hve employees none escaped
death or injury. Some of the victims
bodies were burned in the wreckage
which caught fire Immediately after the
first explosion. supt Monahan is one OF
the missing.
Four Separate Explosions
There were four separate explosions,
the first at 915 a m. two more soon
afterward. and the fourth at 1915. The
first explosion was in the glazing mill.
The other mills nearby were blown I'D
next. The magazine. in which il Is es-
timated many thousands of kegs Of
powder were stored. was the last 20 90.
As soon as the first explosion occurred
the Wreckage caught fire and the flames
communicated to a train on a side track
nearby. At 1913 the heat Of the fire
caused the magazine to explode. This
building Was in "a hollow, some distance
away.
Nearly 1000 people were left practically
homeless. One farm house three-quarters
Of a mile away was blown to pieces
Few Of the residents were killed in
their homes. When the nrst explosion
came the people rushed from their homes
toward the mills, apparently believing
the danger TO be over.
Among the number were many women
and children, relatives Of the mill en-
ployes. and they were near the works
when the second explosion occurred
Dozens of them were hurled 20 the
ground by the force Of the second ex-
plosion and piled in a strangled mass
Some were terribly bruised by being
hurled against trees. fences. and houses.
and against each other, and hardly one
escaped injury.
Entire Town Destroyed.
Before the people had recovered their
feet. the third explosion came, and this
one was quickly followed by the fourth
which completed the destruction Of the
town. Houses were razed to the ground
and the streets were Uttered with debris
from end to end, much of it being the
furniture of the houses, which was
hurled with the structures into the streets
and practically demolished.
Il is impossible to get an accurate list
of the dead, but the total is believed to be
between seventy and eighty persons.
As many more are fatally injured. Two
men died on the relief train as it was
coming to this city, and many Of the in
jured are known to be fatally hurt. 1t is
certain that several were killed in the
mills. More bodies were cremated in
the fire that followed.
Superintendent Monahan. who was sit
ting in his office at the time. was instant
y killed His home, containing his wife
and two sisters, was blown TO atoms.
Following the fourth explosion, those
who We're not injured set about the res
cUing Of the injured at the mills. but only
a small number were found Some bodies
We're burned beyond recognition, while
others We're terribly mangIed, but still
alive.
Work of Rescue Begins.
The rescuers worked faithfully, despite
the fact that the excessive heat from the
burning buildings might have caused an
other explosion at any minute
Near the powder mills is small frame
school building. with fifty-three pupils in
attendance. taught by Miss Susan Bishop
of Terre Haute The explosion threw the
four walls outward, allowing the roof to
settle with crash upon the teacher and
pupils. Every child was injured. but
none seriously. One Of the children.
whose name is English. has not been
found. and it IS barely possible that his
body may be in the. wreck
Miss Bishop was caught in the wreck
and suffered a fracture Of the skull,
which viii probably result fatally.
The new Christian Church is a COM
plete wreck, not timber standing The
four-room school building at Fontanet
taught by Prof. Shoptaugh. was also
wrecked, and the teacher and 200 pupils
more or less injured
school Building Demolished.
The two-room school building at Coal
Bluffs. two miles distant was also
wrecked, and ninety school children were
injured. as was the teacher, Orro Yeager
Every business house in the place was
shaken TO pieces, as was the new Big
Four Railway station and the large
store house Of the Terre Haute Brewing
Company. The chief damage was by the
second explosion, when the storehouse
with 10000 cases Of powder. blew I'D. The
shock was felt very distinctly in this city
where many houses We're rocked on their
foundations.
Windows were broken out Of a new
schoOlh0use here, and panics started in
Continued on page 3, column 4.