The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-01
Mysterious Explosion De-
stroys Du Pont Packing
House at Hagley. Del.
GUARDS DOUBLED BY
COMPANY OFFICIALS
Notices Telling German
Workers to Quit Posted
at Mill Lately.

WILMINGTON, Del, Nov. 30.--Thirty-
one men were killed instantiy-biown to
atoms---and seven were injured when
5000 pounds OF black powder exploded
In packing house in the upper Hagiey
yard Of the +. l. du Pont de Nemours
Company, near here, about I: 40 o'clock
this afternoon.
Company officials have been able to
assign no cause for the blast, the worst
In the history Of the company but II
was at once recalled that "a few days
ago posters were found tackled OH the
trees and fences about the plant warn
ing all Germans working there to leave
before January /. II was said to-day
that several German workmen have quit
since the warning was posted.
An employee OF the plant said that pla.
cards were nailed to trees along the
roads which lead from this city to the
two du Pont plants which said:
Americans who lost their lives on
tho Lusitanla did 81 after they had r,-
ceived due warning. All men Of Teu-
tonic origin are hereby warned that II
they continue in the employ Of the du
Iont Powder Company after January l
they will do SO at their peril and Will
he taking their own lives In their hands.
Lammotte du Pont. who is in charge
Of the plant, said Tonight that he had
never seen any Of the placards.
With fear that the warnings meant
danger to the plant and those working
there. the guards At once were redoubled
and secret service men who have been
watching the plant increased their
xi la is thnnUht "a
ever. that the cause of the blast was
not from exterior sources, but nigh,
have been the result Of some careless
ness in handling the powder.
Plants Under Double Guard.
Following the explosion a detachment
OF guards from the Carney's Point. n.
j.. mills OF the powder company were
rushed across the Delaware River for
duty AT the Brandywine plants. The
chain Of mills IL under a double guar!
tonight.
Nothing but hole In the ground
marks the spot whore the packing house
stood Il was small frame building
eighteen feet by twenty. where twenty
fye men were employed packing powder
In wooden boxes, each box containing
twenty pounds The building WAS di
v!ded into six small room, The mer
! had be-,n working since { o'clock IN th'
morning and would hav. been through II
an hour and IA half longer.
! Just before the explosion "a car carry
ing several thousand pounds Of powde
was trunded along a narrow ralroaC
( track to the door OF the house, draw
/ by two horses. II IL thought posi- bl
that powder spilled from the car trckle,
down onto the rails and was ignited b,
the passage of the wheels. but not nucl
credencc is given to this explanation
OF the tragedy, and there is no one lief
who was in the house 10 tell just wha
| happened
There was a flash aid n deep roa
I and over the spot where the hDus. ha'
! stood a great cloud Of dust and smok
swirled and then lifted up until one coul'
! see the vacancy that was left T'her'
was not n vestige of the building or o
the men who had worked there, onl!
scattered fragments of wood and in III
trees near by ghastly bits of what ha'
been human bodies