Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-03-15
EXPLOSION
EXPLOSION At DuPoNT.DE NE.
MOURs PLANT FELT 100
MILES AWAY.
WRECKS PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WIS.

WRECKS PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WIS.
Largest Granite Buildings In Chicago
Shaken-Panic in Several Thea.
ters-Hotei Guests Flee
In Terror.
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. - Five
powder magazines of the Dupont
de Nemours Powder Co. containing $50
tons of finished black powder and dy-
Mantle exploded at the plant Of the
company, one mile northwest Of here.
One man, E. s. Thompson, q fore
man, is known to be dead, Miss Alice
Finch Of Elgin, ILL.,, dropped dead of
heart disease, caused by fright, $50
people were injured. several hundred
houses in this place were blown COM
pletely down or were SO badly dam
aged as to be uninhabitable and build
ings 10 miles away were badly wreck
ed.
The force of the explosion was felt
more than 100 miles from here, it's ef-
fects being evident in broken windows
as far away as Michigan City, Ind,
100 miles distant. In all the towns
along the shore of Michigan City,
buildings were damaged and windows
smashed. The total damage done out
side Of the plant itself cannot be estf-
mated for many days, but it probably
will be several hundred Thousand dol
lars.
In this town almost every house was
ruined. All night long the country
roads leading to Kenosha from this
place and from the town of Bristol
were filled with carriages and farm
wagons carrying people whose homes
had been destroyed.
The plant fortunately had been late.
ly closed down and only 1s men we're
at work. All of these escaped with
minor Injuries except Engineer Joseph
Flynn who was blown through a win
dow to the roof Of powder magazine.
Clarence Brady, superintendent of the
plant, was also blown to the top Of the
same magazine and an instant later
it exploded. Both men were tossed
high in the air, Brady, escaping I'M
hurt, while Flynn sustained fatal in
juries. How either man escaped from
instant death is unexplainable.
OF the 700 peaple living in Pleasant
Prairie it is believed that fully one
half was injured by falling walls or by
particles of flying glass or stone.
The cause of the explosion is un-
known. The powder in the glaze
room, where the finishing work is put
on black blasted powder was the first
to go and the three black powder
magazines were next and a dynamite
magazine containing fully three car
loads Of the explosive came last. It
was the dynamite that did most of
the damage and the effect of which was
felt more than 100 miles away.
One hundred deputy sherifls have
been sworn in and are now guarding
the plant. 1t is known that a very
considerable quantity of powder is
still on the premises and nobody not
an employee of the company is al
lowed to approach within two miles of
the place.
It is estimated that the damage to
the plant itself and in this town alone
will amount to fully 100000.
The property loss is estimated at
from $1.5oo,o0o to 100000. The Of
f1cials of the plant declare that they
have no idea what caused the explo.
sion.
Chicago Feels the Shock.
Chicago, March 1O.-The glare from
the explosion at Pleasant Prairie was
seen in all the northern and western
suburbs of Chicago. The vibration
was felt from end to end of the city
and the force of the conclusion came
with roar like that of heavy wind.
Windows were broken by the thou.
sand all through the suburbs north of
Chicago and in the business section of
the city.
The vibration rocked the heaviest
granite buildings in Chicago and threw
hundreds of guests in the leading no.
tells into panic.
Almost simultaneously, building of
the John M. Smythe company, at West
Madison and Union streets, Chicago,
was almost destroyed by an explosion.
The suburbs of Chicago, along the
lake shore, all felt the damage severely
and in Evanston, Winnietka, Glencoe,
Wilmette and Highland Park many
windows and store fronts were shat
tered.
It is known that the number of in.
jured is very large and relief trains
were at once sent from Chicago and
Kenosha.
In the new city hall building, which
Is an enormous granite structure. the
force of the vibration was so great
that plaster fell from the walls in nu.
merous places and several of the win.
dows were shattered. A number of
scrubwomen who were working in the
building fled screaming into the street.
DAILY MARKET REPORT.
Twin City Markets..