Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-10
DEMOLISHING OF STORES
CAUSES FOOD SCARCITY
Only One Man Is Killed, But Hun.
dreds Are Injured.
COMPANY OFFICIALS RETICENT
Superintendent and Engineer Blown
Through Roof-Fire Makes
Search of Ruins Impossible
at Present.

PLEASANT PRAIRIE. Wis, March 10.
Hardly a house in the thickly populated
farming country in a radius of five miles
from here is habitable today, as result
of the explosion last night of five maga-
zines of the Dupont de Nemours Powder
Company filed with dynamite and black
grnpowder One man, T.. 5. Thompson.
was killed, one seriously injured, several
hundred We're painfully hurt and the
greater number of residents Of this vii
lage, Bristol and the surrounding farm
ing country have packed their remaining
household goods and moved away until
their homes are rebuilt Fire was still
burning this morning in the magazines.
The five magazines which exploded last
night contained $50 tons of finished dyna~
mite. 13O tons of dynamite unfinished,
$4,000 kegs of finished giant powder. and
5000 kegs of unfinished giant powder.
There are eight small cars OF dynamite
stored on a spur near the plant today, ac-
cording to Sheriff Stahl. Supt. Bum
stead of the Chicago division of the
powder company refused to state the
amount of powder in the mills, but SAID
three wheel mills, one powder building
and twenty smaller separate store build
ings all contain explosives in some guam
uty.
Cause Not Learned.
Mr. Bumstead said the exact cause or
the explosion could not be learned. but
Tod a
from a hammer blow or from broken
piece of machinery flying against the wall
or floor of the glazing or finishing room.
From the main offices of the Dupont
Company in Wilmington, Del, local ON
ciais today received telegraphic orders to
make no statements as to the cause or
nature of the explosion, the amount OF
powder DESTROYED or the amount still In
the magazines.
The company has had trouble with
residents OF Kenosha county following
previous explosions. TWO years ago q
suit brought against the company on tne
ground that ii was a public menace was
won by the company.
Those who remain in this locality are
much inconvenienved by the 1act tnat NOT
only are most of the stores demohsneo.
but the supply of food Is so scattered as
to be of little avail.
Cylinder Crashes Through Roof.
A steel cylinder thought to have been
used In the glazing room crashed through
the roof of the general store of H. A. and
4 A King. tearing a hole five feet In
diameter through the roof, the first ana
second floor and into the earth. II. A.
King, in an adjoining room, was thrown
to the flood unconscious by the shock
Nearly every one within ten miles OF
yUh EXPLOSION
is wearing a bandage today, out the IN
juries sustained are not severe IN more
than half a dozen cases.
Phil Hess, a farmer living near Trues-
dell. more than two miles from the
factory, probably will lose his right
ear, which was nearly severed py
piece of flying CLASP, which struck
him just about as he was to enter his
home. ]. II. Beland of TruesdeN will
probably lose his eye from being
struck by flying glass, and E. A. Fox,
farmer, lost much blood when a vein
In his wrist was cut
Had Thrilling Experience.
Supt Brady, who was blown through
the air first to the roof of the maga
zine and then to the ground. without
being injured, was too startled to real
lie an explosion had taken place.
"I found myself on the ground with
the earth shaking and the buildings
tumbling around. Then the blaze from
the magazines started, and I don't
even remember getting away from the
plant. The next thing / fully realized
I was IN the village starting back to
the fire"
Pleasant Prairie is ten miles west of
Kenosha Wis. The powder mi is a mile
north of the village, which has Il popuia-
tion of about 700
The force of the explosion completely
demolished the houses on the Geneva
road. which were nearest the MILL and
every house in the village was wrecked
Almost equal damage was done In Bristol
four miles west.
The force of the explosion was felt
more than a hundred miles in every d.
rection, and that only man was killed
and one dangerously injured Is said by
officials of the powder company to be lit
tie short OF miraculous
The fire makes ii impossible to search
The ruins. Several attempts were made
by Sheriff Stahl, but on each occasion he
and his deputies were driven back by ex-
plosions the fire reached packages OF
the PowdeF.
Explosions Stop Search.
The iast attempt. just before daybreak.
was stopped by the heaviest of the fol-
lowing explosions. and the sheriff said
then that the fire must die out before the
ruins could be approached. At that time
Sherir S ahl asserted that he was far
from satisfied shat but one body was in
the ~U!s,S.
This ansrning few residents of Pleasa M
Trairte were attempting to rescue their
household goods from their shattered
homes. y number OF the men had stood
guard In their dooryards over night
Almost immediately after the crash the
village was invaded by curiosity seekers.
and asserting that looting and vandalism,
vas beginning. Sheriff Stahl pressed a
hundred deputies into service and cleared
he village. The FIRST work of the deputies
TO get every one out OF the town and
away from the danger zone, as other ex-
Ytosions were feared.
The escaNs Of Supt. Clarence Brady
was remarkable. He was in the soda
house with Engineer Flynn at the time
of the explosion. The men were blown
through :he building and landed on the
iConttnued on Second PaGel