The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-12-15
DUPONT TOWN WIPED OFF MAP
WoPEwELL, VA, TOWN BUILT
NEAR RICHMOND, is SWEPT
BY FLAMES.
Wild Disorder Accompanies Fire and
Negro Is Lynched for Looting---
on Stove Overturned and Started
Million Dollar Fire and Threw 25,-
900 People out OF Homes.

Hopewell. Va. Dec. 9.-This mush-
room town Of $4,000 people. grown up
since last summer with the great new
guncotton plant Of the DUPONT Pow
der company. was completely wiped
OF the map today by a fire which
started in a restaurant and did prop
erty damage estimated at from
si,oo0.000 to 100000. The DUPONT
works outside the settlement was un-
damaged but was once seriously
threatened. Villages n. and b. near
Hopewell. built to house the families
OF married employees OF the factory,
also escaped.
Not a building ia the town proper
was left standing. The two banks,
the Hopewell State and the Farmers
and Mechanics were destroyed.
However. all their cash and securities
on hand were removed to Peters
burg.
Scenes Of wild disorder accompanied
the fire and citizens lynched u negro
for looting. There was no loss of
life otherwise. however.
Martial law was proclaimed tonight
with the arrival of six militia COM
panies rushed from Richmond by
order OF Gov. Stuart. The thousands
OF homeless men. women and chill
dren had been sont to Petersburg and
Richmond. but many men remained
to guard what little property they
had been able to save from the fire.
The fire was said to have been
caused by the overturning of an oil
stove. though there were rumors that
IL had been incendiary. These
rumors were at first given credence
IN many quarters because OF the ar
rest last night at the guncotton fac
tory OF man who. factory officials
said. had attempted to put charge
OF nitroglycerine in one of the beater
houses at the factory and had been
under surveillance for several days
He 10 prisoner at the factory Jail.
The fire ragged from Las ID. m. until
nearly p. m. Available fire fight
Ing apparatus was inadequate to cope
with the situation, the flames eating
their way through the flimsy frame
structures. thrown up during the
early days OF the town last summer,
like so much tinder. Several times
sparks set fire to mule sheds of the
explosive factory. but the flames
which followed were quickly extin-
guished.
When IL was seen that the town
was doomed and the great guncotton
plant endangered, orders were issued
suspending all operations and the fac
tory closed. The employees were set
to work protecting the buildings from
nying sparks. The gravest danger
was from n wood nearby which
caught fire and still was burning late
tonight.
About o'clock in the afternoon
one-half OF the towns water supply
was cut OF when poles which support
ed the high tension cable Of the Du-
Pont company collapsed, swapping
the wires which feed the current TO
the Appomattox river electric pump
Ing station. Prompt efforts by work
men saved the remainder of the wires.
Hopewen policemen. assisted by a
special force OF the powder company,
held the situation we'll lin hand until
the troops arrived. There was the
greatest confusion and bewilderment.
but few attempts at looting.
When the excitement. was subsidlng
tonight the population literally evac-
uated the place. Long before night
families. individuals and small parties
or friends and strangers set out. car
rying possessions they had saved. The
more fortunate occupied motors and
some got away in horse drawn con-
Veyances but many trudged along on
loot. Some found refuge at DUPONT
CITY, which at no time was threatened.
others went TO City Point, but most
made their way TO Petersburg.
When all chance of danger had
passed the DUPONT plant resumed its
operations and the night shift men
took their accustomed places at IL
o'clock. Special trains we're arrapc-
ed for to carry many Of the homeless
families to Wilmington. Del. With
the entire place under martial law.
work at the plant went on as usual.
KNOCKED FROM TRESTLE.