Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-10-07
A FATAL EXPLOSION
Powder House Blown Up ct
Spencer, N. c. Shops
TWO DEAD: SEVERAL INJURED

TWO DEAD: SEVERAL INJURED
Two Men Killed and Many Others
Injured Thursday Afternoon by
Blow-Up of Powder House at
Southern shopEBuildings Wreck
ed and Much Property Destroyed.
Spencer, N. c., special-Two men
killed outright, two so badly hurt
that they can hardly recover and flf-
teen or more slightly injured, with q
destruction of thousands Of dollars
worth of property, is the result of 8
terrible blow-up Thursday afternoon
Of the house in which the Southern
Railway Company kept stored its
powder and other explosives used in
connection with the work at its
large shops here. The plant is bad
" wrecked and work is at stand
still for some time.
The dead are Charlie Leyton, an
unmarried nan about As years Of
age, whose body was mangled and
charred almost beyond recognition
and George Gould, colored.
Those believed to be fatally injur-
ed are:
Fletcher Stafford and James 7.
Gobbel.
Those slightly injured are:
W. F. Kaderly, master mechanic,
knocked unconscious; C. H. Kadie,
shop Superintendent; w. ". Kluttz,
Ernest Kluttz, Robert H. Kluttz,
George Huneycutt, c. R. Trexler, j.
W. sCrowell, Karl Lentz, Fred Loflin,
Win LoAin, E. D. Whitmire, j. NJ
Ellis and R. G.. Koontz.
There may be others who received
minor bruises and contus;ons, but
their names could not be learned.
The explosion occurred at $50
O'Clock and the shock was terrific,
being felt for miles around. The
house in which the explosives were,
was metal structure 9xSxS feet and
was practically full of powder, dy-
Mantle, torpedoes and fusees, nearly
a car load in all. A caboose standing
on the track which ran within few
feet of the house had caught on fire
from some unknown cause and an
alarm had been turned in. The
Southern's fire company, composed
Of volunteer men from among the
shop force, responded Immediately
and three men had got a hose in hand
and were plying water on the burn
ing car when the powder magazine
was touched off. Other workmen, re-
spending also to tho fire alarm, had
gathered and these were the men who
were killed and injured. Leyton was
employed in the round house, short
distance from the scene of the explo-
sion as fue blower, but he had got
close enough that his body
" burned and his face b
death being instantaneous.
gro was Leyton's helper in
house Stafford and Gobl
two OF the three men who V
icufff ,serlzines---- -ttvA.-vn 4
magnificent shops from bei
to the ground. The third
Koontz, who was more fort
escaped with slight init
arm, splinter or bolt being blown
through the limb.
Had the awful blow-up been a few
hours earlier the fatalities would no
doubt have run up in the scores and
perhaps hundreds.
Deaths Remain at Two.
Spencer, Special.-Up to Friday
night there have been no further IA
talities as result Of the explosion
Of the powder magazine of the South
ern aRilway at Spencer Thursday at
ternoon at $50 O'Clock, and most of
the twenty injured in the accident
are resting well. W. F. Stafford, a
member of the fire department, it is
feared, cannot recover. 1t is said
both eyes were blown out, his skull
fractured and face and body fear
fully lacerated. j. T. Gobbel and
Will Lofin are also in a desperate
condition.
The work of clearing up the debris
from the wrecked building was pros
ecuted Friday with a big force Of
men and conditions are rapidly pc
coming normal, though the town has
been in a decided state of confusion
since the great explosion. The loss
to property is variously estimated at
from $4,000 to 100000.
All the injured are being cared for
at the hospitals in Salisbury and at
their homes and the Southern Off
cials are doing all in their power to
alleviate their suffering. A number
of those least injured was able to be
out Friday. Since the early morning
(, kilograms and other messages have
poured into Spencer inquiring about
friends who are in the employ of the
company.
It was learned that many families
IN Spencer suffered greatly from the
shock and a number Of dwellings was
damaged. Several women have been
in a hysterical condition since the
catastrophe.
oae Killed and Others Injures in
Cave-In.
Lynchburg, Va, special.-1n { a