Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1898 — A CARELESS SMOKER [ARTICLE]

A CARELESS SMOKER

Spark from His Pipe Causes Death and Destruction. POWDER MILLS IMEW JERSEY BURS Six Men Are Killed Outnlght—Four, Others Badly Injured—-Ten Bnlldlnga Completely Destroyed— Story of the Disaster. Easton, Pa., April 29.—The town of Dovpr, in Morris county, N. J., and the country within a radius of 20 miles, was start led,Thursday afternoon by a series of terrific explosions, the first of which occurred at 2:10 o’clock. The explosions occurred In the Atlantic Powder company’s works and the 'plant Is now a mass ol ruins. Six workmen were killed and four others were seriously injured, some probably fatally. Their remains have not yet been recovered. Ths dead are: - Alfred Itarick, William Stumps, Casper Kay, David Scheer, William Haycock, Elias Abers. All the killed were married and leave families. The works were si'tuated in an isolated spot seven miles oujt in a nougli country from Dover. There were ten buildings' in the group and (all have been destroyed. 1 Story of tUe Disaster. The first explosiop occurred in one of the packing houses, caused, it is thought, by a sparli from the pipe of a careless smoker. The concussion set ! off the explosives in another packing house near by, Jltbris and burning timbers of the wrecjked buildings were carried high into the air and fell in a shower over the regaining buildings, setting fire to the mi in factory and the other five packing h mses and the two shell houses. In a brief time the explosives in these bui dings were set off and left death and dfestruction in their wake.

People Terrified. The works have bejen running night and day turning out flush orders for the United States government and a large amount of ammunition ready for shipment was stored in tbp packinghouses. TfaiA with all other explosives was completely destroyed. ThL scene presented at the place was terrible. People who felt the shocks and smw the flames of the 'burning structures flocked to the place from miles arouild, but could render no aid to the injijed. The people were terrified and heldmback in constant fear of other explosicms. A few men who were in the buildings managed to escape and they ran al out the country bewildered. They oo Id give no intelligent account of t e, cause of the explosion. When the vives und relatives of the employes o the factory approached the burning buildings the scene was heartrendinj . Horribly Mai gled. It whs near five o’clock before the ruins had cooled off si ifficiently to.be approached and before the on-lookers could be induced to gel near the Bpot. The bodies of the dea<* were horribly mangled. The head wak missing from some while here and tl ere lay legless and armless trunks, k lany of the injured were cut and mi jmed so badly that some of them cannc t recover. The loss cannot be learned at this writing.