From the Richmond Dispatch, 8/6/1862
Explosion of Fulminating Powder – Man Killed. A
large mass of fulminating powder exploded about 11 o’clock yesterday, in the
wooden house used for its manufacture, on Brown’s Island, in James river, at
the foot of 7th street, and instantly killed and dreadfully mangled
William Pratt, of Washington D. C., the party engaged in its manufacture. The
house was utterly demolished by the force of the concussion, and the fragments
scattered far and near. One arm of the unfortunate Pratt was picked up some
distance from the scene of the tragedy; the other was not found. His body was
otherwise terribly mutilated and parts missing. It is of course not known how
the accident occurred, as the only party who could give any reliable information
on the subject, lost his life. This is the third time an explosion of like
material, attended with fatal results, has occurred here, and it would appear
that no amount of precaution suffices to guard against casualties of such a
kind. Michael Goheen, who was aiding Mr. Pratt, but who was not in the building
at the time of the explosion, was also severely injured by being thrown down and
badly bruised.
Page
last updated on
01/15/2008
|
