Evening star., 1907-10-16
Residents of the Wrecked
Town Wake to Realization.
EXPLOSION STILL MYSTERY
None Escaped From the Powder Mill
to Explain.
SOLDIERS
KEEPING
VIGIL
Full List of the Dead May Never
Be Known-Property Loss
Not Yet Estimated.

NoL CT IsSIlllldLcO
. FONTANET. Ind, October 18.-The resi-
dents of this village of 1000 people, when
they awoke this morning, encountered
much different situation than they had
been accustomed to in the past Instead
of quiet country town and pleasant
scenery to greet their eyes, deso!ation
was at hand. Soldiers OF the Indiana
state militia We're on hand, and had stood
guard all through the night.
Details as to what caused the terrible
catastrophe of yesterday when the du
Pont powder mills blew up, killing prob
ably thirty-five and iniuring some 800 per-
sons. were lacking. No one connected with
the powder company could ascribe any
reason for the explosion. Several rumors
circulated was that the machinery in the
glazing mill became overheated from fric-
ton and set fire to some loose powder.
The glazing mill was the one first to bow
up lie OtlItI StCtlolS VI pant Ioi-
lowed in rapid succession.
Was No Looting.
A number of people of this place were
able by patching up their houses to pass
a fairly comfortable night. The remain
der We're accommodated with sleeping
room on cots placed in tents brought here
by orders of Gov. ]. Frank Hanly. Sys-
10 baip r-;t
short time it is thought most of the
houses will be repaired in such manner
as to permit the reoccupancy of them by
their tenants and owners.
The officers of Company B, Indiana
National Guard which was brought here
early last night, report that the night
passed without disturbance of any kind.
The soldiers were distributed so as to
guard as much of the town as possible.
The guardsmen were instructed to shoot
one was found doing dastardly act of
this kind.
Injured Doing Well.
1t is understood the state authorities will
Immediately begin an investigation of the
cause of the disaster.
The injured passed a fairly comfortable
night and no additional deaths at this
place are reported Systematic efforts to
search for victims among the debris in
the powder mills Were begun this morn
ing. Men were distributed so as to make
a thorough search for other victims of the
disaster Of yesterday. number of cof-
fins We're received today from Terre
Haute and the bodies of those recovered
were buried today.
The total number of dead will probably
never be known, and it will be several
days before the exact amount of property
loss can be figured out.
Death List May Increase.
The loss to the powder company in prop
erty damage is estimated at S2SO,OOO in
Guiding 5000 kegs of powder stored in
the magazine which exploded The prop
erty loss in the town of Fontanet will ex-
ceed S5O0.OOO.
DR.. w. E. Wiilen of Terre Haute, chief
surgeon of the Fontanet mills of the Du-
pont Powder Company. today compiled an
official list of the known dead and serious
ly injured copy of which he forwarded
to the company at Wilmington, Del. The
list of dead has thirty-one names. 1t is
believed more names will be added, in
creasing it to from thirty-five to forty, as
several employees are known to have been
blown to pieces. The list of seriously in
jured being cared for in the hospitals at
Martial law has been proclaimed and
the wreck strewn district containing four
square miles is guarded and policed by
state troops commanded by Gov. Hanly.
1t is reported today that the magazine
which blew up contained 5000 pounds of
dynamite in addition to $1,000 kegs of
powder.
Scene of the Disaster.
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 or wounded by the
quick-following explosions in the other
mills. When the heat from the burning
mills exploded the giant-powder maga-
zine, later practically destroying the town
by the concuss!on. many of those en-
gagged in rescue work were badly injured
and several killed. Superintendent Mon
ahan 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 people 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 scat
CeEeO lliGlT uOuSSlOlu 6OOuS III HSdpS Ol
debris.
No cause for the explosion is known.
The men in the mill where the first ex-
ploson occurred were killed or fatally
injured, and it may never be known what
caused the catastrophe. The mills which
manufactured blasting powder and the
plant were of the largest in the country.
State Superintendent Nash of the Du-
Pont Powder Company, who was seriously
injured about the head and hips. said:
"Superin.end Monahan. myself and
T. T. Kellup, a representative of the east
ern company of Wilmington, Del, were in
the business office. Monahan and l were
looking over the mornings NAL. MIR:
Kellup was reading newspaper. This
is the last 1 remember until l was picked
up on the hill 100 yards away
Probable Loss.
Mr.. Nash said that the loss of the plant
would be more than S1OO,OC0. He stated
that this was not the first explosion at
the plant In the nine years he had been
in the plant seventeen persons have been
killed. Trouble has been experienced in
the past few days with the shaft in the
glazing room. Several times the shaft
has become overhaated and has caused
the stopping of the machinery.
Hospitals and homes in Terre Haute
| were thrown open yesterday to care for
the injured in the Fcntanet powder exolo-
SION. Relief trains, carrying physicians
! and supplies, were hurried to the scene