The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1907-10-16
TOWN DESTROYED
Powder Mil Blows Up at Fon'
tanet, Ind, Killing 35.
OVER 600 PERSONS INJURED
Explosion Of 10000 Kegs of Powder
Wrecks Hundreds of BuiIdings-The
Conclusion Felt 200 Miles Away.
1900 People Homeless.

Conclusion Felt 200 Miles Away.
1900 People Homeless.
was pxaetically destroyed by the exple-
sion Of the plant of the Dupont Powder
company The dead number 80. More
than 500 persons were injured. and
every building in the town was wholly
or partially levelIed to the ground.
where stood a thriving and busy
tswn Of 1000 persons there is now ruin
and scattered wreckage, the dead and
mere seriously injured have been tax
en away. Five hundred inhabitants,
all more or less wounded, remain to
sathsr 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. They en-
pleyed 200 men and and OF these 70
were at work when the first explo-
sion 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 A.
600 kegs of powder When 1t blew up
the conclusion was felt nearly Z0O
miles away.
Houses Two Miles Away Wrecked.
Farm houses two miles away and
school houses equally distant were torn
nt
A passenger train on the Big Four
railroad four miles away had every
window broken and several passengers
were injured by flying glass.
The mills went up with three dis
tinct explosions followed later by a
fourth even more serious than the oth-
ers when the magazine went up. I'M
mediately following the explosions the
Wreckage caught fire and the lnhab1-
tants of the town who rushed to the
rescue of the mill employees found
themselves powerless to aid those burn
ing In the ruins They worked fran
tically in constant danger from possible
succeeding explosions unmindful OF
their ruined homes Dead and dying
were picked up and collected. Eighteen
bodies burned and mangled were cart
ed to q protected spot to await iden-
tifsation while the badly injured, num-
bering upwards of so, were put on
special train and taken to Terrs
Haute for hospital accommodations.
Nearly every one of the 1000 inhab1-
tants carried blood on hands and face
from his own wounds or those of peo-
pie who had required aid.
Rescuers Killed and Injured.
The mills were located one mile
south Of the town. With the first ex-
plosion the employees ran for safety,
but most of them were killed or wound
ed by the quick following explosions
In the other mills. When the heat
from the burning mills exploded the
giant powder magazine, practically de-
etroying the town by the conclusion.
many OF those engaged in rescue work
were badly injured and several killed.
Superintendent Monahan, of the plant.
was killed while sitting in his office,
and his wife and sister-in-law were
killed In their homes some distance
away. That the death list is not far
greater is due to the fact that the peo-
pie of the town had left their houses
at the first explosion, and were not in
them when the explosion of the 10000
kegs of powder in the magazine hurled
their homes to pieces and scattered
their household goods in heaps of de-
bris.
Among the building totally destroyed
In the town were the Methodist and
Christian churches. the depot, all bus
mess blocks, including a large block
Just completed. large warehouse and
500 homes. In many of them the
fronts were blown away, while in 9TH
srs the roofs were hurled into space,
the sides blown out or they were left
q confused mass of collapsed wreck
age.
Three school buildings were destroy
ed, two at Fontanet and one at Coal
Bluff, two miles away. All were fill
ed with school children and every one
Of these were more or less injured by
the collapse of the buildings.
A four-room school building was
torn to pieces and not one of the 200
children escaped unhurt. None was
fatally hurt The school building at
Coal Bluff was turned over and col
lapsed. The teacher and 80 pupils were
more or less injured
Terre Haute and Brazil sent physi-
clans and nurses with supplies in cars
and automobiles across country, while
special trains were made upand run
over the Big -Four railroad for the
care of the injured.
Governor Hanly at Indiana polls or
dered the Terre Haute company of the
Indiana National Guard here to patrol
the ruined district and protect life and
property. Later the governor arrived.
He brought with him 700 tents and cots
for the use of the homeless.
Among the dead is T. 7. kellup. of
Wilmington Del.
State Superintendent Nash. OF the
Dupont Powder company. who was
seriously injured about the head and
hips and who is in the hospital. said
superintendent Monahan. myself
and T. T. Kellup. a representative of
the eastern company, of Wilmington
Del, were in the business office.
Monahan and I were looking over the
mornings mail. Mr.. Kellup was read
ing q Newspaper This is the last
remember until was picked up on
the hill. 100 yards away"