Horrell Station, Pennsylvania
Standard Powder Company Explosion
Aug
14, 1904
EXPLOSION AT POWDER PLANT.
SEVERAL MEN INJURED, BUT NONE OF THEM SERIOUSLY.
Gas Generated in the Soda House, Let Go and
Building Was Set on Fire--- When Water Washed
the Soda Into the River There Were Three
Explosions--Men Hurt by Flying Timbers and
Stones.
Several men were hurt at the Standard Powder
Company’s plant, at Horrell station, on the
Williamsburg branch, at 7:15 o’clock this
morning, during a series of explosions there.
When the news spread there was great excitement,
for a repetition of the horrible disaster at
Williamsburg over a year ago was feared.
However, none of the men was seriously hurt. The
soda house was burned to the ground, but the
loss will not be great, since the other
buildings were saved.
The explosion occurred in the soda house.
Workmen were mixing soda and sulphur at the time
and in some manner, while beating it, gas was
generated and ignited. The explosion wrecked the
building and set fire to it. The men escaped
without injury.
The workmen at the other buildings, in the
immediate vicinity, were hastily organized into
a bucket brigade to extinguish the flames. The
water thrown on the building washed the soda
down into the stream which runs nearby and a
series of three, explosions followed.
John Walls,
aged 42, and Robert
Gregg aged 30, who were in the crowd
of workmen, were struck by flying timbers and
suffered slight injuries. Others were hit by
clods of dirt and small stones, thrown by the
explosion.
The fire was confined to the soda house,
there being ample protection for the other
buildings. This is the second explosion to occur
at the Standard powder plant, the first one
being only of minor importance.
The Standard Company is owned by Pittsburg
capitalists. George
McAbee is the manager.
Altoona Mirror, Altoona, PA 17 Aug 1904
Transcribed by
Trish. Thank you, Trish!
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