Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-10-16
Magazine Contained Forty Thousand
Kegs Of Powder.
TwO HUNDRED MEN EMPLOYE

tNONTANET Ind. oct. 15.-Between
twenty-five and fifty dead, 800 injured ana
: city Of 200 people wiped out Such is
the fate which overlook Fontanet TO-DAY
when the Dupont powder works exploded.
Where stod a thriving and busy town OK
1000 people this morning, tonight there Is
ruin and scattered wreckage. The dead
aud more seriously injured have been taken
away. Five hundred inhabitants all more
OF less wounded, remain TO gather their
scattered household goods and sleep under
tents and on cots guarded by soldiers OF
the state without warning the powder
mills. seven In number, blew up at 9l5 this
morning. They employed 200 men. and OF
these seveuty-five we're at work when the
first explosion occurred in the press mill
In quick succession the glazing mill the
two coming mills and the powder magazine
blew up. followed by the cap mill. In the
magazine situated several hundred yards
from the mills, were stored 10000 kegs OF
powder The conclusion when 1t blew up
was felt 200 miles away. Every house IN
this town was destroyed Farm houses two
miles away and school houses equally ais
tant were torn to pieces and their occu-
pants injured. Indianapolis and even Gin
cinnati felt the shock. A passenger tram
ON the Big Four railroad four miles away
had every coach window broken and sew
eral passengers were injured by flying
glass.
Partial List of victims.
Following is list Of the identified dead
and partial list Of the more seriously
injured.
Dead
\. b. MoNAHAN, general superintendent
MRS. MoNAHAN's SISTER.
GEORGE JUSTICE.
GEORGE BOBO.
WILLIAM HERRllzL,
HENRY IIARRiNGToN
A. D. WEBSTER
SAMMY NEVINs.
YATES
WILL DALTON.
injured:
Albert wasster. leg broken.
Miss Grace Brannon' eye put out and
.sfft.Rner sSf.lR srt' Brignt. limb crushed.
Seorge Hodges, wheelwright in mill;
George Walker, burned and internally in
L. NJ. Carroll. flesh cooked.
Mrs Thomas PaTs, scalp wound.
Mrs Martha Webster, cut on head.
William Hodges, badly burned,
Andy Pittman. internal injuries
H. NJ Edwards cut about head and body.
Mrs. Rachael Montgomery, cut about
head; cannot recover.
w. p. Mccoy, scalp wound.
w. NJ. Sherwood, hand, feet and body
Charles Nash, cannot recover
Willard Carroll, cut about head.
Elmer Bright, cut about facea nd body.
prof. j. Il. Shoptaush of Fontanet school,
serious body Injuries.
George Stewart, seriously hurt
Miss Susan Bishop, teac her at Coal Blum
Mrs. Wasteller fatally injured: ~
John Gray, employe powder MILL
Alex Biddle.
Harvey Chandler
Alvle Edwards.
Fred Cross.
Edward Cross.
Harvey Kelso.
L. J. Harris.
Carl Hamerick.
William Walker.
James Thompson.
H. NJ. Edwards.
Mrs. Biras Brannon.
Mary Brannon.
COncussion Wrecks Town.
The mill went up with three distinct ex
plosions, followed ninety minutes later by
fourth even moro serious than the Others
when the magazines went up. Immediately
following the explosions the wreckag'
took fire and the inhabitants of the town
who rushed TO the rescue OF the mill EN-
ployes, found themselves powerless TO aiC
those being in the ruins. They worked
frantically In constant ranger form pos
sible succeeding explosions, unmndful o
their wrecked homes. Dead and dyinl
were picked up and collected. Fighter
bodies horribly burned and mangled wer,
carted to protected spot TO await idenu
fcation, while tho badly injured number
ing upwards OF fifty. were put I'm specia
train and taken to Tere Haute for hos
pital Accommodations Scarcely one o
OF the 1.oo0 inhabitants OF the town bu
carried blood on hands and face from
his own wounds or those Of people wh'
had required aid.
The mills were located one mile south o
tho town. With the first explosion tn,
employees ran Tor safety but most Of then
We're killed or wounded by the quick fol
lowing explosions IN the other mills Whei
the heat from the burning mills explode,
the giant powder magazine ninety min
utes later, destroying the town by tn
cOnoussion, many of those doing rescu
work were badly injured and severa
killed superintendent Monahan OF tn
plant was killed while sitting in his ONCE
and his wife and sister-in-law were kile,
In their home some distance away.
SCANDAL. FOLLOWS W0MAI