South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-12-01
THIRTY KILLED IN
MILL EXPLOSION
Dupont Powder Plant at Will
mingtOn, DEL, is Wrecked.
Many injured.

WILMINGTON Del. Dec. L.
Thirty men were instantly killed
Tuesday and seven fatally injured in
q terrific explosion at the Upper
Hagely plant Of the Dupont Powder
Co Ten or j others are missing.
enc OF the injured died Tuesday
night.
The cause OF the explosion is
shrouded in mystery. There was no
reason for it. officials say.
None Of the men who were in the
plant at the time can give any ex-
PLANTATION. The mangIed remains of
80 Of the workmen are scattered
about a great hole where the plant
cnce stood The injured are so bad
ly hurt that they cannot and proba-
bly, never Will be able 10 talk.
WOrkmen in other plants Of the Du-
pont company here and at Kearney
are mutterin2 Tuesday night. They
recall that last week notices were
posted at all plants announcing that
the mills would be destroyed if the
Germans working in them did not
20 out. 40 attention was paid to
these notices. None knew whence
they came and most Of them were
torn down a short time after they
were posted. officials evasively de-
MED having seen them.
Held Not Accidental.
But Tuesdays accident following
so closely upon the warning. has
resulted in other rumors that the ex-
A.
Only one theory has been ad-
vanced by the workmen. 1t is said
that the explosion may have origin
ated by a spark from a horses shoe.
They say that just before the ex-
piosion was heard a car containing
several thousand pounds of black
powder was being drawn down a
small railroad. Some of the pow
der might have sifted out on the
tracks. The horse which hauled the
car may have struck his shoe against
one of the rails. causing a spark.
That would have ignited the powder
spilled upon the tracks and subse-
quently caused the appalling dis
aster.
Although the theory is not con-
sidered a logical one, it is accepted
tonight as the only plausible one
unless the explosion was the result
OF a plot. A statement issued by
the company declares its origin evil
probably always remain a mystery"
Inquiry Begun.
Desrnite this statement a search
ing .. ujry has been started by the
officials. Every member of the COM
pany's secret service staff has been
put 10 work on the case and outside
detectives have been called in.
Tuesday night a double guard was
thrown around the entire plant of
the Dupont company here. Detach-
ments Of constabulary that usually
guard other plants were hurried
mere. The guard also has been dou-
5led at Kearney.
The accident was the worst that
has occurred at any of the Dupont
plants during the last . years The
pitiable part Of the enormous death
list lies in the fact that all of the
victims were young men and boys
ranging in age from 16 10 p years.
Most of them lived in this city.
The explosion occurred in the
packing house. where black powder
pellets are prepared for shipment.
Most OF it is used now for sporting
purposes"
just Finished Dinner.
The men employed in the plant
had just settled down to the after
moons work after their dinner at
1880. when there was "a slight ex-
lowed by another which rocked the
whole of the historic Brandywine
valley i'm which the plant was locat-
ed 1t shook Wilmington, three
miles away. TO its foundation.
The $4,000 inhabitants credited 10
Dawson CITY Alaska. during the
height of the 1885 gold rush. have