Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 March 1908 — POWDER MILL BLAST [ARTICLE]

POWDER MILL BLAST

Sends Three Men to Eternity and - Injures a Fourth Probably IRONY OF FATE LN ONE CASE Dead Man Had Jon Missed Death lo the Fontanet Explosion— James Oliver's Will— Items. Sullivan, Ind., March 18 —By an explosion in the United States Powder company’s mill, at Coalmont, nine miles from this city, three men were instantly killed and four other men were Injured, one perhaps fatally. The dead are: Crede Simmons, of West Virginia, burned to death; George J. Gorby, Sr., blown 200 feet into the air, dying of injuries received In falling to the ground; Lon Smith, died of burns. Fatally injured, Charles Myers, in dying condition at St Anthony’s hospital, Terre Haute. Seriously injured, Charles Gorby, Jr., nephew of the dead man, and Samuel Stewart Painfully burned, Jas. Smith and William Myers. Windows in Coalmont Shattered. The explosion, which occurred at 7:30 a. m., took place just as the day shift was relieving the night shift, and the dead and injured were the only persons In the mill at the time. There were two explosions, both in the press mill, and not in the wheelhouse. The building in which the explosions occurred was a large brick structnreand was blown to the ground Every plate glass window in the town of Coalmont was shattered, and the force of the explosion was felt for fifteen miles ia all directions. Physl dans were summoned from all nearby towns and responded promptly. The dead were removed from the wreck age and were taken to the morgue, while the Injured, with the exception of Sam Stewart, who was removed to the Terre Haute hospital were taken to theh- homes. Had Just .Missed Fontanet. Crede Simmons, one of the men who was instantly killed, was employed at the Fontanet powder mill for many months, and left the employ of that mil) on the day preceding the expio sion of the pewder mills last summer and escaped death. The plant is an independent powder concern, and is controlled by capitalists in various parts of the country. This is the first explosion in the history of the plant. Falling Beam Kills Three. Indianapolis, March 18.—Three men were killed here late in the afternoon by the falling of a heavy steel beam that was being placed in position for railroad track elevation. The dead: William J, Huff, Cincinnati; Richard Lawrence, Chicago, and Fred Hanson, Peking, 111.