Evening journal., 1909-03-08
ONE KILLED, ONE
HURT IN EXPLOSION
lcontInnea from rirst Pagel

hundred yards and alighted IN the Bran
dyvine But the immense force and pow
cr OF the explosion is best Illustrated by
The aerial flight that the greater part OF
she glazing keg took. IT was huqled
for about three-ouarters Of a mile, and
alirhted on n hill on the other side OF
the Brandywine. There It buried itself,
rent and twisted mass OF steel and Iron,
about four feet deep into the ground. This
kee was estimated TO weight anywhere
from fifteen hundred TO two thousand
pounds with the wrought iron heads In Il.
heads IN IL.
Back OF the glazing mill the eight
foot board fence was levoled for more
Than two hundred feet The gap was
picketed Immediately by workmen TO
prevent persons encrouching into the
yards.
wiadows were knocked out Of the
mower house. the pressing and drying
mills and other buildings in the powder
ward. but tho glazing min and the grind
ine min were the only structures de-
molishcd.
The shock OF the explosion was .3lt
plainly at Philadelphia and as far as
Dover down the State. IL probably was
one Of the most severe and forceful ex-
niosions that ever has taken place at
the mills. especially when tho fact Is con-
sidcrcd that not more than 1900 pounds OF
the black blasting powder went up. This
amount was estimated by Alfred !.
dupont 1--WE will never know the cause"
said Mr dupont. ''We know from tho
condition OF the water wheel that the
mill was not In operation at the time.
Whiteman had not been I'm the buildine
many minutes when the explosion oc-
Cured
General IT. Coleman DUPONT added that
the cause OF the explosion never would
be learned.
Nearly every building anywhere near
the powder yards sustained some dam
age 20 its windows.
City Was Shaken. =
Within tho city the damage caused
hy the explosion was slight Possibly
the greatest damage IN the city was
al Cappcau's drug store at Delaware
avenue and DUPONT street. where a
large plate glass show window was
broken by the shock.
wilmington was swayed by the shock
OF the explosion. Many persons were
Just getting out OF bed at the time,
while the greater part OF the popula-
fion probably had arisen. Houses trem-
hled and windows ratified when the
first big shock came, followed an in
stant later by the slighter shock.
TITS the powder mills" was the ex-
clamation that escaped many lips
Persons familiar with such explosions
dashed to points OF vantage TO look
for the cloud Of smoke that invar-
iably follows an explosion. lt was
not lacking today.
Like a monster balloon the cloud o
yollowish and whitish smoke ascend
ed al,yward within a few seconds Of th'
explosion and kept It's shape as {
continued 10 SOAR until finally dissi
pated BY air currents.
The country for several hundred
yards about the powder plant containl
nieccs Of dohris-either burnt wood
metal or some fragment OF machinery
blown away by the explosion. Sou.
Vcnr hunters were IN the vicinity OF
the Yards early but were not allowed
20 enter. The gate was barred TO every
body excepting persons connected will
the plant and employees. Persons witt
cameras focked 10 the yards, but me
good views Of tho scene OF the ex-
piosion could be obtained from the out.
side.
Buidinrs in the nelEhhorhood Of the
Hagiey yard plainly show the effect:
of tho dctonation. Windows by the
hundreds were shattered. and plaster
Ing was knocked OF the wallis ani
ceilings IN many places. The house.
along the road near Christ Church