Evening journal., 1915-08-30
TWO killed when
POWDER Mills co
UP; Get ONE body
(Continued From PAGE Ono0

]
ished and where the two mills had
stood nothing remained but burned
and crumpled rocks and gaping holes
in the ground.
An iron experimental barrel used in
the fuse mill was found 500 yards
away on top of a hill resting in the
earth in an old coal storage house. The
iron pot weighing close to two tons,
had scared over the trees and crashed
/ through the building. In falling to
the ground the heavy mixer struck n
b by S-inch oak girder in the building,
which was cut in two as If by a knife.
Heavy sections of steampipe were seen
| lying across tree branches and pieces
or machinery such as cog wheels and
the like, were sent hurtling through
the air, falling on the roofs of nearby
buildings, which luckily were not in
habited.
The home of Frank L. Connabla.
an official of the Powder Company
situated on the brow of the hill over
looking the destroyed mills. was bad
ly damaged. Glass in the windows
was shattered, plaster was knocked
from the ceiling, the roof was dam
aged and furniture broken The
homestead owned by Miss Evelina du-
Pont, near the company's stables.
was wrecked Every window sash in
the building was torn from its fasten-
ings, glass was shattered and all the
doors were torn from the hinges. The
interior looked as if an artillery had
raked the house. Plaster was off all
ceilings and walls. and the library
] ha rr1r
torn from the walls and dashed to
the floor.
The home of Judge Edward G. Brad
ford nearby was damaged Judge
Edward c. Bradford is I'm the West.
None OF the servants was injured
In this city the concussion of the
two explosions was severe, houses
rocking. glassware being thrown from
sideboards and in various sections
windows were broken. At the shoe
store of Thomas Washington, No. 1908
Scott street, a plate glass window
was shattered. The shock was severe
in the upper end of the Seventh ward
and at Rising Sun.
At the time of the explosions, a
train on the Wilmington and Northern
branch Of the Philadelphia and Read
ing Railway was opposite the mills az
Hagley. The cars were rocked like
boats and the passengers we're thor
oughly scared.
Residents watched the smoke cir
cling up as the report of the explo-
sions died away. While it was ru-
mored that the Carney's Point plant Of
the DUPONT Company had exploded,
the smoke showed only too plainly
where the accident had been. The re-
port of the blowup was felt at Hockes-
sin, Chester. and other nearby places
and thousands of telephone inquiries
we're made during the morning to the
police and hospitals.
Shortly after the explosion. Chief OF
, Police Black and Sergeant william F.
Schell went to the scene in an automo-
bile. Chief Black offered his services
and those Of the men under him. Off
! cials of the company declined his offer
! with thanks to the chief. as their
b. guards had been summoned and soon
surrounded the plant.
Hundreds of men, women and chill
! dren. having relatives or friends
I working at the plant, rushed to the
S powder yard gates as soon as the ex-
plosion occurred and inquired for
4 their loved ones Many we're crying
D and would not leave until assured
- that their relatives we're unhurt In
1.-THE meantime hundreds of people
4 from this city fiocked to the plant
r. and several hundred crowded through
o the broken fences and watched the
employees working amidst the ruins
4 Nothing remained but a mass OF
}, burned rocks, and the scene looked
= more like a quarry hole than a pow
e der mill Adjoining the fuse powder
|. plant stood the refinery, a large
wooden structure, and this building
was badly damaged.
While only two men were killed, a
number of men who we're nearby had
l been knocked down and stunned
I William j. Lynch, of No. 131 North
Franklin street, who was nearby
was stunned by the concussion but
/. he was uninjured.
4 While the crowds were waiting for
n some news from the inside of the
: mills at the gates, an undertaking
wagon from this city drove up and a
G stream of women and children fol.
l. lowed it to the gates. Here they
d were barred while the wagon con.
;, tinued into the yard. In a short time
l. it returned with the one body found
l. Among the first arrivals at the mills
d were many persons with cameras, and
q the guards were on the alert i'm pre-.
venting them from taking views. Gun.
f ningham one of the men killed. has
- been working at the plant for some
l. time and was rated a careful worker
= A few weeks ago he risked his life IN
II a fiare-up at the mills by runninf
,, into mill and carrying his brother tC
r.. safety. Several years ago he was in.
p iured in a premature blast in a quarry
4 and one of his eyes was destroyed
j. Gillespie had worked at the mills only
e few weeks and little is known o.
l. him in this city. Both men were al
!. work in the fuse powder mill, Giles
pie having just gone into 1t when il
+ exploded.
The cause of the blowup will never
r be known but several of the workmer
= Law the blame on static electricity
,. which is generated in handling pow
l. der. The loss in money to the com
8 pany was not stated.
j. The fuse powder which exploded Il
= said to be a new powder being made a
the mill. a semi-smokeless preparation
which is very powerful.
IL was reported first that six mel
had been killed and twenty injured
and the Phoenix ambulance went Z
4 the wards at once. thinking IL nigh
II he needed. The report of many being
injured was wrong and the ambulance
., crew was not needed.