Our readers who heard the fire bells ring between 8 and 9 o’clock,
this morning had no idea that just at that time a terrible explosion had taken
place in the southern part of the city, and that a number of men and women had
been killed as terribly and suddenly as if they had been blown from the mouth
of a cannon. The explosion took place at
the corner of Tenth and Reed streets, and just above the junction of the
Pasayunk road. The fireworks and
cartridge manufactory of Professor Samuel Jackson, was blown up, in some as yet,
unaccountable manner, the edifice taking fire and in a short time leaving only
a few ruins. The building was a one
story frame, located, on a lot about one hundred feet square. A portion of it, occupied as an office, was
substantially built of brick, and most of the walls are still standing.
Prof. Jackson was engaged in filling a heavy order for
cartridges for the United States government, and had about 50 girls and about
24 men working for him. The cause of the
explosion is as yet unexplained. Its
effects were terrible. The edifice was
scattered in ruins; at least four or five of the work people were killed
instantly, and two or three of them were blown to minute fragments. The
adjacent property also suffered. – Nearly every window pane for a square around
were broken, fences were demolished, and fragments of human flesh where flung
on top of high roofs and smeared over walls.
A head, probably that of a man, was blown nearly a square up town,
landing on Ellsworth street. A policeman
picked up nearly a barrel full of arms, entrails, legs and other pieces of
bodies, just after the explosion. One or
two females were blown into Tenth Street, with their clothes all in a
blaze. The police and citizens
immediately rendered all the aid possible, and the ruins were examined at
once. The dead and wounded were carried
out and placed in various neighboring dwellings, drug-stores, &c., while
some of the injured were taken to the Pennsylvania hospital.
Thus far the bodies of Edward Jackson, the son of the
proprietor, and a boy named John Mehaffy, have been recognized. The latter had his head blown off. Young Jackson was shockingly mutilated. His head was partly destroyed and almost all
the flesh burned from the bones. Mehaffy
resided on Earp street, below Ninth.
THE WOUNDED.
The greater portion of the wounded were conveyed to the Pennsylvania
Hospital. The extent of the injuries of
each has not been ascertained, but the physicians are of the opinion that there
are no fatal cases among them.
In addition to those taken to the hospital, quite a number
were conveyed to their own residences, after having their injuries dressed at neighboring
drug-stores, or in dwelling-houses, in the vicinity, all of which were thrown
open for the reception of the unfortunate persons.
The fate of many of the victims of the terrible disaster
this morning is still unknown.
Out of the 78 persons employed in the building only 61 have
thus far been accounted for, including four known to be killed.
One of the men missing is supposed to have been blown to
atoms.
Of the 40 of 50 wounded at the hospitals and at their
residence, it is feared that a considera [the rest of the article was cut off
when the newspaper was microfilmed.]
– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye,
Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 3
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