FATAL POWDER BLAST.

ONE DEAD, TWO DYING, EIGHT INJURED, HOMES WRECKED.

THREE WOMEN AMONG HURT.

Ten Thousand Pounds of Explosive Goes Off at Eckman, Va., Spreading Destruction -- Wrecked Houses Take Fire

Bluefield, W. Va., Dec. 14. -- An explosion at Eckman today of 10,000 pounds of powder, which was being transported on three mine cars from a freight car to the powder house of the Pulaski Company, resulted in the death of one, the fatal injury of two, and the serious injury of eight others. Three of the injured are women whose homes, near the scene of the explosion, were wrecked.
The dead:
JOSEPH STEEL, died on the way to the hospital.
Fatally Injured:
ALEX FINNEY.
MRS. GEORGE JOHNSON.
Seriously Injured:
EDWARD MULLIN.
FELIX HARDUETT.
MRS. MARY FORBES.
T. HAIRSTON.
GEORGE BLAND.
OSCAR COWNS.
C. W. CASE.
MRS. MARY RHOADS.

Wrecked Houses Take Fire.
The wrecked houses took fire, and the scene was soon thronged with people. Timbers and empty powder cans were scattered over a large area.
The men were on the powder-laden cars and the women were in the houses near by. Thw powder was in tins, and was moved from a frieght car to the magazine, when sparks from the motor wheels or current from the motor set it off. The houses near by were torn into splinters, and the detonation rocked the entire village. In a few minutes hundreds had congretated and engaged in fighting the fire, which broke out as soon as the explosion occurred. Some of the wounded were horribly burned, several of them lost their eyes, and the flesh hung in tatters from their bodies.

The Washington Post District of Columbia 1906-12-15
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!