Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-03-16
TOWNS IN RUINS FROM
POWDER MILL EXPLOSION
BLAST IN Big Plant Near kenosha Wipes Out the Villages of
reaSant Prairie and Bristol and lars Country Within
Radius of 100 Miles Like Earthquake Shock
ONE KILLED, SCORES INJURED; LOSS, s2,OOO,OOO
Cause of First Explosion Many Tons of Dynamite
kn0"h-Osaster Followed of
Motive of Preventing the Rebuilding OF Powder

the plant. If this fails, they are like
ly to demand that the laws covering
inspection of powder plants be
strengthened. A petition with 5000
signers is expected to grow out Of
this meeting.
The question Of liability for the
damages inflicted is a serious one
with the victims The destruction of
their homes, in most instances, is the
overwhelming calamity. No attempt
has been made to accomplish any
thing but a temporary patching Of
the shattered buildings.
The question of damages will be
taken up with the officials of the pow
der company The people are not
asking damages as much as they are
insisting that the plant be removed
from Pleasant Prairie They claim
that their property has been rem
dered Valueless by the explosion and
that even if their homes were rebuilt
the women and children have been so
terrified that they would not consent
to live in the vicinity of the plant
again.
Some idea of the force of the ex-
plosion can be obtained from the fact
that dynamite, when exploded, travels
at the rate of 240 miles minute.
Tests have shown that 500 pounds
loaded into one of the larger can
mons will hurl a projectile through
eleven and one-half inches of best
steel armor. Gunpowder has prac-
tically one-half the force of dyna-
mite. In the explosion there were
10000 pounds of dynamite and &c.
600 pounds of powder. A combined
explosion of these explosives in this
amount would hurl a projectile
through 512 feet of the best steel
armor plate, or more than one and
one-third city blocks of solid steel.
The condition of Joseph Finn, the
engineer injured, is serious. He is
suffering from internal injuries and
shock.
Engineer Finn has given a state
ment of the cause of the explosion
''It began with the glaze MILL" said
Finn, "the high power powder in
the hot cylinders was what let go.
Any one of number of causes, over
heating of the gears or friction in the
cylinder might have done it,
Coroner Stanton declares that he
will summon as witnesses not only
every man connected with the plant
at the time of the explosion, but also
the officials of the powder company.
District Attorney Henry Hastings has
been asked by the coroner to person
ally conduct the inquest.
Dale Bumbach, manager of the
western branch of the E. 1. Dupont
De Nemours Powder company, owner
of the MILL has inspected the site of
the destroyed plant. He said he can
not imagine what might have started
the series of explosions.
One of the most serious accidents
resulting from the explosion was in
Kenosha. Mrs. Ernest Bonsell was
driving in grocery wagon, carrying
her year-old babe in her arms. The
horse was frightened by the crash of
the explosion and the glass windows
smashing on the cement pavements.
and ran away. Mrs. Bonsell and her
babe were thrown to the street, and
the mother probably fatally injured.
The baby fell on it's mothers body
and escaped unhurt.
At the home of Homer Crawford,
about a mile from the plant, baby
had been born but the day before.
When neighbors, after the shock,
went to the Crawford home, Mr..
Crawford was senseless on the floor.
his head struck by a falling door.
Mrs. Crawford, seriously II, lay in
bed protecting her baby.