Milford chronicle., 1915-12-03
THIRTY KILLED
BY POWDER BLAST
Seven Others Injured in EIpIO-
sion at Dupont Plant.
VICTIMS BLOWN TO ATOMS
Parts Of Workmen's Bodies Blown
Across the 5randywine-cause Of
Disaster a Mystery.

Disaster a Mystery.
Thirty men, nearly all of them
y0ung. were killed and seven werein.
Jured when $4,000 pounds of black
powder exploded in a packing house
IN the upper Hagley yard Of the E.
!. Dupont de Nemours & company,
near Wilmington. Del.
The cause, an official statement
| given out by the company says, is a
mystery However, there were rumors
afoat that some outside agency caus-
ed the detonation of the powder,
These speculations concerning the
possibility of a plot to blow up the
Dupont works were based largely up.
on posters recently put up near the
powder plant warning Germans to get
away not later than January 1.
The killed are: James Baird, Ben
jamin Barber, Marge Bricotti, Elmer
Cumpston, James Egner, Harry Ell
lott, Elmer Fox, Norman Fisher
James Gemmett, Nelson Newgate, J.
Haber, Fred jeffrey, B. Kelcher, cd.
ward King, James Malloy, Bryan
O'Connor, Harry Place, G. Sylvestri
Paul Smack, John Smack, Wesley
Simpson, E. Springfield, Allen A. /
Thaxter Goreman), Leslie Timmons,
W. Vein, Elmer Mace, Patrick Han.
rahan, C. Pleasanton, William Oliver
and one man thus far unidentified.
The injured are: Lewis Booker
Edward Davis, E. F. Ware, P. J.
Skies, W. H. Oliver, J. r. Meredith,
all of whom are at local hospitals.
Mace, a driver; Hanrahan, a car.
penter; Clarence Pleasanton, fireman,
and w. oliver, machinist, among the
killed. were outside the packing
house.
The explosion was so severe that
only a hole in the ground marks the
spot. The packing house was blown
to pieces, as were other structures
nearby. There were twenty-five men
and youths from sixteen to twenty
one years at work in the packing
house. None survived. They were
all blown to atoms, not enough Of any
body being found to enable identif. ,
cation. The others killed were out.
side the building. For hours after }
The explosion, other workmen in the ,
Yards were busy with buckets and
baskets picking up arms. legs, hands !
md remnants Of flesh scattered over
he surrounding country and hanging
rom trees for over quarter of a :
nile.
The only body identified among Z
hose known to have been in the pack. y
ng house is that Of Allen A. Thaxter,
t Portland, Me-, foreman in the mill. n
ne trunk Of his body was blown "
cross the Brandywine creek and was +
1entified by shreds Of clothing that I,
lung to the mangled flesh. n
The men injured were at work out Il
lde the packing house or In adjoin. q
lg mills.
The disaster was one of the worst al
nat has ever occurred in the history r
the Dupont company. twenty-five a,
ears ago six mills in the same plant h,
zploded and killed fourteen men and m
ljured a number OF others. The 81
ioney loss will only be a few thou.
md dollars. U
All of the injured were badly mu. W
lated. some having their eyes blown "
1t and limbs almost torn of. Some hi
Ill die.
John Smack, one Of the killed, only o
'gan work Monday. The scene about =
10 plant was heartrending. Hun NJ
eds OF relatives Of workmen clam.
ed for admission or screamed in
lguish. in
Just before the explosion occurred IS
car carrying several thousand mi
'unds Of powder was run along a to
lrrow railroad track to the door tie
g packing house. This was drawn
two horses. One theory IS that VIZ
me of the powder spilled from the mt
+, and falling on the tracks was in
nited by the car passing over It. of
is supposed this flash ignited the of
plosive in the car and caused the lis
5aster.