New-York tribune., 1907-10-16
Entire Town Of Fontanet Ind, Wrecked by Series Of
Explosions In Du Pont Company's Plant
Forty Thousand Kegs Magazine Are Last Explode and Many
Working to Rescue Other Victims Meet Death
or Are Wounded

Fontanet, Ind. Oct 15.-Fontanet was prac-
tcally destroyed to-day by the explosion of the
plant of the Du Pont Powder Company. The
dead number thirty-fve. according TO the best
estimates. More than six hundred persons were
injured. Every building in the town wholly
partially levelled to the ground.
Where a thriving and busy town of one thou
sand persons stood this morning. tonight there
ruin and scattered wreckage. The dead and
more seriously injured have been taken away
Five hundred inhabitants. all less
wounded. remain to gather their scattered
household goods and sleep under tents and on
cots, guarded by soldiers of the state.
The powder mills. seven in number devoted
to the manufacture of blasting powder. blew up
at 9:15 o'clock this morning. They employed
two hundred men. and Of these seventy-fve
were 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
forty thousand kegs of powder were stored
When it blew up the concusslon was felt nearly
two hundred miles away.
Farmhouses two miles away and schoolhouses
equally distant were torn to pieces and their
occupants injured. A passenger train the
Big Four Railroad. four miles away. had every
coach window broken. and several passengers
We're injured by flying glass.
SOME OF THE DEAD OR INJURED.
The list of the known dead, whose bodies
have been recovered from the ruins. follows:
BIGGs James.
BISHOP. Miss Susan, teacher in Coal Blur
BOBO. George.
BOBO John
CARROLL. Doc"
CARROLL. L. J.
CHANDLER, Henry
CottreU.
CRESS. Fred.
CRTBB. ". F.
DIAL. Sylvester
DIAL Don
DIAL. Frank
GREY. John
HARRINGTON Henry.
HODGE. George
HODGE William. seven years old
INGALLS, Frank
INGALLS,. Samuel
JUSTICE. George.
KEIITrP T T. Wilmington Del
MONAHAN A. b. general superintendent
NfbNAHAN Mrs A B.. and her sister
NEvINS. samuel
NEvINS. Edward.
NEVINS. John.
sHERRILL William
WEBSTER. A. d.
WOOD. Earl.
YATES.
Three unidentified men
Following is a partial list Of those most
seriously injured:
BIDDLE Alexander.
RPANNON. Mrs BiraS
BRANNON Miss Grace. put out and scalp Injured
RRANNON. Miss Mary
BRIGHT Elmer. cut about face and body
FRIGHT John right leg blown on: vii de
CARROLL. l. NJ. burned
CARROLL, William. cut about head
CHANDLER. Harvey.
CROSS. Edward
CROSS. Fred.
DALTON William. fatally injured
EDWARDS. Alvin
EDWARDS. II. NJ cut about head and body.
GRAY John ernpIoye powder mill. fatally injured
HAMERICFG Carl
HARRIS. l. !.
HODGES. William. badly burned
HODGsON. George wheelwright in mill
KEISO Harvey
MCOY. ". r.. scalp wounds
MONTGOMERY. Mrs. Rachel. cut about head; fatally
NASH Charles cannot
PARR Mrs Thomas scalp wounds
PITTNIAN Andrew. internally injured
sHEARROwD. W. NJ. hands, feet and body crushed
sHoPTAUGH r. F. professor OF Fontanet School
badly crushed may not recover.
STEWART George. badly crushed
THOMPSON. James.
VULKER. -
WALKER General burned and internally injured.
WALKER. William. fatally injured
wASTELLER Mrs. fatally injured.
WEBSTER Albert leg broken
WEBSTER Mrs Martha cut head,
WELLS Charles engineer OF freight train. badly
burned.
EXPLOSIONS FOLLOWED BY FIRE
The mills went UP with three distinct explo-
sions followed ninety minutes later by FOURTH
even more serious than the others. when the
magazine went up. Immediately following the
explosions the wreckage caught fire.
The inhabitants of the town. who rushed 70
the rescue of the mill employees, found them
selves powerIess TO aid those burning in the
ruins They worked frantically, in constant dan
ger from possible succeeding explosions. un-
mindful of their ruined homes.
Dead and dying were picked up and collected
Eighteen bodies. burned and mangled. were
carted tc a protected spot to await Identification
while the badly injured. numbering upward OF
fifty were put a special train and taken TO
Terre Haute for hospital accommodations.
Nearly every Of the thousand Inhabitants
carried blood hands and face from his own
wounds or those Of people VINO required aid.
The mills were located one mile south Of the
town With the first explosion the employees ran
for safety but most OF them were killed
wounded by the quick following explosions in
the other mills.
When the heat from the burning mills ex-
ploded the giant powder magazine practically
destroying the town by the cOncussion. many OF
those engaged in rescue work were badly injured
and several We're killed.
Superintendent Monahan. of the powder plant.
was killed while sitting in his office. His wife