Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1916-04-14
THREE KILLED
in EXPLOSION
Du Pont Powder Mill at Ne
mours is Blown Up From Un-
known Couse-Two Boys
Killed While Sleeping.

haps fatally injured and two Others
less seriously hurt at the Ncmours
plant of the Du Pont Powder Com
pany, eight miles from Bluefld, on
Wednesday morning at 3:20 o'clock,
when 1000 kegs of black powder ex-
ploded. The damage to the plant is
estimated ut 100000. Howard Ma
thena, of Tip Top, who was on the
night shift at the plant, was blown to
pieces, and Calvin Butts, watchman.
was injured seriously.
Two Boys Killed While Sleeping.
Two boys, George and Roy Craw-
ford, age about ~ and ii years
asleep IN their homes about quarter
OF |! mile from the explosion, were
crushed to death by large piece OF
concrete which was blown through
The roof of the home by the force of
the explosion. The two BOYS were
students in the Nemours High School,
of which Prof. Dwight Hurley, of
this town, is principal.
A Blueticld special to the Roanoke
Times says:
with great roar, as if mighty
earthquake had broken loose, the big
powder plant of the Du Pont De Ne
mours Powder Company ut Ncmours,
w. Va, about eight miles west of this
city, blew up this morning at 3:2O,
wrccking the entire plant which was
4 very valuable one, blowing an inn
mense hole in the earth, and killing
three people.
The shocks were felt in this city
and houses rocked on their foundn-
tions, some windows being broken.
Night Waterman Calvin Butt is
suffering with concussion of the brain
but miraculously escaped with his
life, as he was near the building at
the time of the explosion. The build
ings destroyed were the corning mill,
the glazing and pressing mills, and
and the bomb proof pack house.
The bomb proof building was full of
powder. This building was on rein
forced concrete with walls several
feet III thickness and WAS built as
substantial as it was possible to make
il.
1t was torn to pieces and one piece
of concrete weighing about five tons
was blown Il distance of five hun
dred yards. The company houses
were located some distance from the
wrecked plant, and while they sus-
tanned some damage, no lives were
lost and no serious damage done. An
immense rock weighing three thous-
and pounds was thrown n distance of
five hundred feet and completely bur-
led i'll the ground. Two halfway
houses were used to store the over
flow from the other houses.
According to information from the
foreman, three thousand kegs of pow
der blew up, worth $l.50 n kcg,
bringing the total loss in powder and
buildings destroyed up TO 100000.
The cause of the explosion is un-
known.
OF the pccliar incidents and mirac-
ulous escapes is recorded the fact
that under small house entirely de-
stroycd, litter of pups were To-
Gated. They were left entirely un-
harmed. Close by also was Ford
automobile which came out unscath-
ed, yet it was only fifteen feet from
where hundreds of kegs of powder
went up.
The scene around where the plant
was located is one of desolation and
nothing can be seen now Of the for
mer buildings but an immense hole
in tho ground
The plant was built in 1904, and in
1910 a minor explosion occurred in
which three persons were killed.
ions have occurred until today.
Mathena Buried at Tip Top Yesterday
Tip Top, Va, April 13.---Howard
Mathena, "a years old, single, son of
Stephen Mathena of this place, was
blown to pieces in nm explosion at the
Dupont powder works at Ncmours on
yesterday morning. Several other
people in the vicinity were more OF
less injured. Two children of Mr..
Crawford, onc-fourth of mile away,
were killed in their beds by large
piece of concrete, which was blown to
the house by the explosion. The
fragments Of the body of Mathena
are being prepared for intermcnt by
an undertaking firm i'm Bluefeld, and
will be buried here today. Mathcna
was the only man in the building at
the time of the explosion The Ma
thena boy worked in the glazing
room, and would have been relieved
by another man in ten minutes of
the time the explosion occurred. Two
brothcrs-in-law, Will Tate and Ed
Barrett, worked at the plant and had
been there with their families for
several years. 1t is understood that
hatneha carrlcu Insurance., payable
to his mother.
Parties from Tip Top, who were in
the Falls Mills section yesterday re-
port that the company will began re-
building the destroyed buildings at
once, and expect to be ready to begin !
work again within the next four
months.
Howard Mathena is survived by his
father and mother and five sisters:
Mrs. Jane Mathena, of Mud Fork;
Mary Tate and Ella Barrett, of Ne
mours; Pansy Lcedy, of Graham and |
Willie Claire Dawson. of Richards;
three brothers, John, Tilly and Noah.
of Tip Top. One brother didc in a !
Welch hospital in February, 1915.
Not Felt at Pocahonias.
Pocahontas, April 13.-The blow
ing up of the powder mill at Nemours
,ua oInco npnnnh ~ Dnooh0nt,, IL |