Wilmington, Delaware Powder Mill Explosion, August 3, 1855
The New York Times 1855-08-04
The drying house of GARECHE'S powder works at Eden Park, which exploded this morning, contained about one and a half tons of powder, and the force of the explosion was tremendous. The house had been in operation for forty years without accident, and was considered the safest house in the works. All the men connected with its operations were killed at once, being blown to atoms and found at various distances from 50 to 200 yards from the scene of the disaster. Three of the killed were Frenchmen, named EUGENE PERENE, JOSEPH DEO PEANE and FRANCIS FISHER. A boy named JOHN PUGH was also among the killed. The explosion of the drying house caused a mill, situated about 300 yards distant, also to explode. In thismill six men were dangerously hurt. One of them, PETER McGINLEY was thrown a distance of 40 feet, and it is feared will not recover, while PATRICK BURK, who was running from the mill, had his skull fractured by a piece of lightning rod, and his recovery is also doubtful. THOMAS MULLEN had his collar bone broken. MR. MITCHELL, the engineer, escaped with some slight bruises.
Another man, whose name could not be ascertained, was running beside PATRICK BUSHE when the latter was knocked down. He stooped to pick up his fellow workman and escaped injury. The engineer, WM. MITCHELL, was seated at his post reading a newspaper when the explosion took place. He saw a barrel of powder explode and started to secure his safety behind the chimney stack, when a second exploded which blow down a brick wall over his head. His head was caught by some portion of the wall and bruised, and he also received some slight scratches on his cheek.
PATRICK GUTHRIE and MICHAEL GUTHRIE, who were on the outside of the mill, escaped with slight injuries. The engineer says there were three separate explosions in the mill. To those at a distance it seemed like a single prolonged explosion.
DRS. ASHEW, BUSH, WHITE, WILSON and DRAPER, from Wilmington, were at the scene soon after the occurrence, rendering all the professional aid in their power. There were about fourteen hundred pounds of powder in the mill, which was less than usual. The trees around the drying house were torn up by the roots, and one or two horses were killed. One other man is said to have been killed, but this seems doubtful. MR. GARECHE says the explosion must have been caused by one of the Frenchmen, who was addicted to smoking his pipe, although he had been forbidden to do so.
Philadelphia Press 1857-08-24
About five o'clock yesterday afternoon a terrible explosion occurred at Dupont's power mills, on the Brandywine. MR. ALEXIS I. DUPONT, assisted by seven workmen, was removing a large and heavy box from a building which had been used since the year 1812 as a powder-house; the box accidentally came in contact with the wall, and fire was produced by the friction.
An explosion immediately followed, burning all hands in a shocking manner. MR. DUPONT leaped into the race, and the others made every effort to extinguish the fire on their clothes, which they succeeded in doing with the assistance of MR. DUPONT.
MR. DUPONT then hastened to see if the press roof had caught fire, and as he approached a terrible explosion took place, shattering the building to atoms. By the flying fragments MR. DUPONT had his right thigh fractured and three of his ribs broken, while one of his lungs was perforated. He was found among the ruins, and when taken up, gave directions to the persons present to hasten and extinguish the flames.
SUNDAY, 5 o'clock P. M. --- MR. DUPONT, ANTHONY DOUGHERTY and EDWARD HURST, the foreman, are dead; LOUIS VACKE is mortally wounded. JOHN McCLAFFERTY and GEORGE FISHER are injured, but not fatally. The rest escaped unhurt.