Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-02
FIVE POWDER WORKMEN KILLED,
SEVERAL MILLS WRECKED IN
EXPLOSION AT HAGLEY TODAY
udqe Bradfords Home and Many Other Dwellings in the
Neghborhood Badly Damaged by the Force OF tine
Shock.

Agricultural Commissioner Newton l..
/ Gruhb, calling from his homc at Grubb s
/ Corner, IN Brandywinc hundred, said that
section was violently shaken, some win
! dows were broken and other slight dam
4 arc was done As far rs MIR Gruhh knew,
i no person in that locality was injured
/ In South Wilmington the shock was
/ so severe that many of the residents and
ncrsons employed IN manufacturing cs-
+ tahlishmcnts there believed the explosion
Was at Carncv's Point, and many ran
toward the river to sec if they could see
anv trace of wrcckage. or could see smoke.
While no serious damage was done IN
South Wilmington, the buildings vIhratcd
Ia such an extent as 10 cause consterna-
ton among the occupants Of some of
them.
EXTENDED ACROSS THE RIVER.
The force Of the shock was felt in New
Jersey along the Delaware river shore as
far north rs Gloucester. In the latter
city some Of the girls in somc of the Of
flccs were thrown INTO q panic by the
shock Naturally there was great alarm,
the s,Ippnsition there being that an cx-
ploslon had occurred NJ GIhhstown, a
short distance down the river he
| vibration was felt on down the river be
/ low Decp Water Point
COMPANY INVESTIGATES.
Immediately after the explosion &C
CURED officials Of tho company went 70
the Hacicy yard, sending physlcians there
al the same timc. and began relief work,
taking care Of tho victims and giving
attention to incidental matters.
II was feared that number Of persons
had been injured. ia addition "a those who
had been killed, and everything possible
was provided to help III case there was
suffering
An investigation was begun as anon rs
thc killed and injured had hccn taken
care of. in IN effort to ascertain the cause
Of the explosion.
rNpLoaIoN WAS TERRIFIC.
Tho explosion was terrific
The first report WAS that two mills at
The Prandvwlne plant had gone M, Kill
ing two workmcn and iniuring another.
One If he mills was known as q corning
mill. or grinding place. and the other as
q prss house
Clouds of smoke. snowy white, lifting
high in the AIR. iicoccd the skies, giving
notice that something had happened.
From the upper stories Of buildings IN the
heart al tho city crowds watched these
clouds with a feeling akin 70 horror.
Some II The taller buildings were affected
moro OF less by the conclusion. Hundrests
Of employees fclt the vibration. In snu1c
respects the accident WAS vrTy unusual
The first explosion IS supposed To
have occurred in the grinding mill and
touched off spark IN the adjoining one,
causing II to 50 ul1 too.
FIVE BUILDINGS WRECKED
The Haglcv ward is where the black
powder product Is made. The wreck
"a buildings, all small were only 800 or
400 wards apart, as usual IN the powder
plants The ingredients for the powder
are mixed and moulded into cakes.
These cakes are usually damp and there
fore Quite harmless while still IN the press
house. where they are formed. From thus
place the cakes are put into the grinders
Al the corning mill 10 tc ground into ccr-
tain size grains by electrical machinery,
Utmost precaution Is required during thus
grinding process, and there has been no
serious explosion there since 1917, It was
stated As a rule. the workTncn keep out
Of tho danger zones, but this time there
happened 70 be several men on hand.
Il / supposed all were inside the buildings
when the explosions occurred. Death
probably came instantaneousiy to the
men who were killed, Their bodies were
recovered hut Identification was slow.
as was also the case with the man injured.
POSSIBLE CAUSE.
The accident mlCht have been caused
nv q mechanical friction, II Was SAID. or 3
foreign substance "a the powder winch Is
thought very unlikely 70 have gotten 10,
NAV havc caused the trouble
The buildings were completely wreck
t,-r
story 10 each They were built of stone
and n accordance with plans worked ont
many wears ago hy the powder company
10 coInport with the hazards Of the work
done within them 50 as TO minimize the
loss ii case Of explosion.
SMALL FoRCE EMPLOYED.
Only about IS men were employed in
powder work at the plant The surviving
force turned out right after the explosions.
AZ )he FIRST sign medical aid was rushed
from the cIty Officials followed out %
make IN InvcstC CATION and give al pos
sible aid to the injured.
The bodies Of two dead men were found
muulated near the building ruins and the
injured man was also living unconscious
nearby. lie was rushed TO Delaware
Hospital
Men in the powder works are seldom
surprised by an explosion Their lives are
spent among the extreme hazards Of the
game and are consequently IN grave
danger al the time The result is they be-
come accustomed u the dangers and
sometimes become a Bit careless ~
habst tht are on Their guard most Of the
true- Each man IS supposed VI take
care oi himself 81 all times, 50 that after
81 lu spite u the dangers, casualties
are remarkably fen
" nltr AZ flrs, ii Was reported that 0nlY
TWO hsyd been killed later reports were
that hyg men were missing. instead OF
tw0. IBIS report was taken with eau
tIon as NOT necessarily meaning that ell
hve were aead IL was rather thought
Jhat some Ci the Borimen had fed panic
stricken u their bones, or elsewhere
7 bis has heen known to occur, where the
missing aftcfward turned up safe and
sound
Still later accounts bad it that three
wheelhoIses also we're blown up These
places are where The ingredients going into
the black powder are mixed together by
large wheels electrically driven. The prop
erty damage at these places Is even small
er than AZ the grinding and press plants. |
Most of the force out there is what
might be called skilled
Even the laborers are above the or
dIuary types, in that they must be IA
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