Quincy, IL Fireworks, Explosion, Jul 1857

Terrible Explosion of Fire Works.

A Pyrotechnist Probably Killed, and Two Other Men Wounded.

Last evening about 7 ½ o'clock, MR. JAMES PRYOR, well known in this city, was working in his pyrotechnic laboratory, in the second story of a house on the east side of Main, between Seventh and Eighth streets, when by some means unaccountable to him, a rocket which he was filling ignited, and a tremendous explosion followed, blowing out the wall of the building, tearing up the floor, and making a partial wreck of the premises. MR. PRYOR was horribly burned, and fell into the first story through the broken floor. It was supposed at a late hour last night that he could not possibly survive.
A man by the name of JAS. RICHARDS, in the apartment below the laboratory, was injured by the falling bricks, and a third person whose name we did not learn, was wounded by a piece of timber, which struck him to the earth.

A large lot of fireworks were in MR. PRYOR'S workshop, and it is our opinion that a spark produced by sudden contact with an an [sic] iron rod which he held in his hand, with some hard substance, occasioned the disaster.

After the explosion, the building took fire, but the flames were soon extinguished, without serious loss.
[Cin. Gaz.]

The Quincy Daily Whig Illinois 1857-07-01
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!