The Washington times., 1916-07-16
Arthur Mccoy and Bill and Ed
Pennebaker Find Life in Mill
Too Exciting.
NARROWLY ESCAPED DEATH
Bring Back Hair-Rais.ng De-
scription Of Explosion at du
Pont Plant.

Bringing thrilling descriptions Of hair
breadth escapes from death In the big
explosion In the du Pont powder works
AT Haskell. N. j., last Thursday. three
Georgetown boys who recently left
their homes to seek their fortunes In
the powder business. have returned to
Washington. announcing that home.
sweet home sounds good to them.
They are Arthur Mccoy. seventeen.
whose mother. Mrs. Julia Mccoy, lived
until quite recently at 3oi5 q street. and
biii and Ed Pennebaker, twins. also
seventeen. whose parents. Mr.. and Mrs.
D. Y. Pennebaker, live at 3o21 Q street.
with the exception OF Mccoy, who
mas flesh wounds In the face and inethe
ieft leg. from fragments of glass. these
boys are sound and none the worse
Tor their adventures.
while all the boys had narrow es-
capes, young Mccoy had the closest
call, and his story. therefore, deserves
TO be told first. Only five minutes be-
FORE the accident he had been trans
ferred from his position in the nitro
siycerine plant. which was the first to
90 up. and the man who took his place
there was blown into atoms.
Both Thrown to Floor.
Mccoy had just begun work on his
new job. in what is known as the DOW
der picking house. and was sitting near
young Bill Penenbaker when the ex-
piosion occurred. Both boys were
thrown to the floor by the conclusion.
out Immediately got up and rushed to-
ward the door.
Thex had
the dry house. located between the pick
ing mouse ana the nitro giycerine plant.
expIoded, blowing young Mccoy fully
twenty feet into the air. over the tops
which the plant is located.
BIZ Pennebaker was hurled to the
ground and was so stunned that he
doesn't recoliect clearly just what hap
peneo 10 MN; MCCOY also was stunned.
put regained consciousness when he
struck the water.
was sitting down at a table with
BIZ and about fifteen or twenty other
something III he and knocked e sa me down San
and never heard such noise In my
life. i though the powder / was sorting
had gone on. Glass from the windows
in the. building was dancing around like
lightning. l put my arm over my eyes
In keep out the glass and started to
run for the door. Before I could get
there. there was another explosion
oyer the trees into the river, The whole
sky was black with debris from the
buildings and smoke and other things.
] crawled ashore and found ] was not
hurt much. Then saw Bill and Ed
and they made me get on a truck and
go to the hospital"
Ed Pennebaker. who was working In
what is called the wet rolls house. which
ed down by the first explosion. The
noise was so loud ! couldn't htar it,
he said. when the first explosion CAME
] was thrown on the ground pretty hard
but got right up"
New Running Record.
did you rum" he was asked.
Did ! run? Man. you ought to have
seen me; I didn't know could run sc
second explosion came and knocked me
down again. Everything looked dark
all around me and the whole sky seemed
filled with doors. and dindow sashes
right near me and got up and tried &c
run, but couldn't and just fell dowr
groaning. His back was torn all e
pieces and I helped him get into truck
for for a ths nS'P Pns B and then went to
All three boys decided the powde,
business was not what II was cracked
up to be and took the first train they
COuld make Tor "asnlIlRtOn.
Mccoy went up to Haskell early ir
April He came back home for few
DAVIS a week or two later and persuad
ed his chum. Ed Pennebaker. to return
with him. Bill also wanted to CO. but
his Job couldn't be procured right away
SO ne waited. Last Wednesday he go
word from Ed that his job was ready
SO he entrained for Haskell. He hat
been on the Job Just twenty-eight min
utes Thursday. when the explosion oc
Cured.