The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-10-15
Large Du POnt Powder
Mill Is Total
Wreck.
Every Building in the
City Is in
Ruins.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind, Oct i5.-
The large mills and StorehousS Of
the Du Pont Powder Company at
Foutanet, sixteen miles from here,
blew up at 9:15 a. m, wrecking the
town of Fontanet, killing over half
the employees at the mills and result
ing in the death of many men,
women, and children in the village.
With forty bodies recovered up to
noon and with a train load of in
jured brought to the hospitals here
the work Of rescue is still going on.
The death list will grow 10 almost
100 persons IS the belief of the res
cuerS.
The severe shock Of the explosion
was felt here and for distance of
sixty miles in a circle about the
village. At Charlottesville, thirty
five miles away, the electric light
office building was wrecked, the
walls cracking anG the marble floor
sinking at least one inch.
Employees in the Summerville building
rushed into the streets screaming. think
ing an earthquake had struck the town
At Bloomington. 1he seat Of Indiana
University. recita1ions were interrupted
:-hen the big buildings moved. leavins
crlclOed wells.
Other Injuries.
There were other Injuries at Roseddle
coal blum and Burnett Buildings were
shaken and chimnEys felled- This CIty
suffered some by cracking walls.
/ Nothing OF the immense powder mill
could be found y vast hole IN the earth
showed the scene OF the explosion. A
spectator from Coal Bluff. who has
/ Just returned 10 that town for paetiicIne,
and further rClicf says injured mothers
/ crowded around the school building tTy-
I iuS 20 and their children and paying
I little attention 10 their own injuries. The
arrival or the special train from Terra
/ Haute came as q God-Send as there was
/ practically no one in the village 10 carry
/ oH the rescue work
Feared Many Are Dead
] Reports now say that It is feared many
miners While a. work in the mines have
either been killed or injured by walls OF
| The mines caving in.
Distracted women rcshed TO the rninGs
/ t. get theiI husbands TO aid in the work
] pf rescue, only 20 find that the men
\ could not in some cases come out Of
I them
Other Towns Damaged
In this city window panes were shat
| tered and chimneys tottered and fell
More serious damage is reported at
/ Brazil. CoaIblun. Burnett, and Rosedale
/ towns in the Immediate vicinity OF
l Fortanet- Mills OF the powder company
/ We're located within two miles Of The
/ village. TIE cause of the explosion
/ probably viii never be known.
| The first train TO return from the
scene Of the accident arrived here, at II
/ o'clock, bearing fifty-three terribly in
! iured men. Some OF them were en-
] ployes Of the powder works and were
I picked up many feet from the scene.
/ They are badly burned and lacerated
/ Great loss Of life was first reported
/ from the public school building, which
/ COLLAPSED while 100 children were within
! Nearly all OF the children are said 70
have been injured and some loss Of life
| viii result. No dead bodies had been
/ taken out up to noon. The general store
also collapsed, killing at least two peo-
pc.
Every Resident Hurt.
Not A person in Fontanet escaped
without injury or death First reports
were that miners In the vicinity wee
entombed by eave-ins. Some OF these re-
ports have been verified, but no deaths
are known to have occurred.
| The scene OF The explosion, two miles
north OF the town attracted the largest