Year: 1864




The English papers contain an account
of the blowing up Of two powder-mills
near London, which for extent of damage
has been rarely equaled. The bricks and
machinery were thrown mile, trees were
torn up by the roots for great distance,
the river embankment blown in, endanger-
ing the existence of two villages that were
below high water mark, and nearly every
pane of glass within radius of four miles
destroyed. Nineteen persons were killed,
wounded and missing some of the wound
ed being fatally injured. The damage ex-
tends over a radius of seven miles, and the
loss is over one million pounds sterling.


One of the accounts of the disaster saws:
Near the edge of the river on Erith Marshes
there were two powder magazines but
some yards apart from each other, and
they stood on the angle of the marshes
which form the bend of the river, known
as the lower end of Galleons and the upper
part of Firth Reach, and nearly abreast,
but more than mile distant of the Belvi-
dere Station Of the North Kent railway. A
kind Of stage or pier stretched out from the .
stores for the purpose of shipping pow
der, and the magazines are stated to have
contained large stock ready for shipment.


According to what we could CLEAN, the
men were at work in one of the maga-
zines. Two vessels were lying at the
wharf, but whether they had loaded all
their powder, or were in course of receiving
it, we could not ascertain. At the time
above stated the whole district for miles
round was terrified by the shock of the ex-
plosion. The store In which the hands
were engaged first blew up with an awful
violence, and then followed the second
magazine. Some say there was third .
shock. The flashes were truly awful, and
it is difficult to convey any description of
the dreadful scene that ensued. The brick
work of the buildings were blown high in
to the air, and row OF cottages which
stood some distance from the stores were
dashed down as if they were cardboard.--
The destruction of property at BelvIdere,
Erith, Plumstead, and neighboring places,
is something dreadful. The inhabitants
were orroT-sticrken-they were thrown out
of their beds, and the shattering OF the
doors and windows led them for the mo-
ment to believe that their dwellings were
falling. The river bank has been blown
down to below high water mark, and un-
less the most prompt measures are taken
by the authorities, the whole of the extern
sive range of marsh will be flooded.


There was no chance of saving the poor
fellows who were in the building. Those
who occupied the row. of cottages before
alluded to were found in q shockingly mu-
tilated state. The men who were working
near the stores were fearfully bruised by
the brickwork of the mills as it was blown
out. With all possible dispatch, litters with
beds upon them were made up and the poor
wounded creatures were forwarded by
train on to Guys Hospital The first brought
four to town, and a second batch of five at
the hospital about tie hour of 10 o'clock.
OF the latter number there were four In a
whole family-the parents and two chill
dren. The father is stated to haye expired
shortly after he reached Guys, and also one
of the little girls. The Southeastern Rail-
way Company behaved with the greatest
promptitude in the matter; and Mr.. Knight,
the Superintendent proceeded to Belvidere
with special train to bring up the suffer-
ers. AS we write, poor wounded creatures
keep arriving at the hospital. At present
it is difficult to state the number who have
perished, as many are doubtless buried be-
meath the ruins, and at present they cannot
be approached.


Adequately to describe the shattered
state Of the whole district would be a mat
ter of impossibility. In one direction win
dows were blown in, walls were leveled,
cart in which some men and women were
proceeding to market was forced in two,
the horse killed. but, strange to say, that
although the occupants were pitched head
foremost out of the vehicle, only one was
seriously hurt. The trees for miles round
have not escaped, many having been lifted
out of the ground as If they had been mere
reeds. Such terrible sight as the whole
of the district presents has scarcely heen
seen during the present century. Two
barges in the river were blown completely
out of the water and overturned.