This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: kalotac Surnames: Classification: death Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.sprague/1268/mb.ashx Message Board Post: 29 March 1905 Tonawanda News Four Blown To Atoms Bodies of Employees Found in Fragments After Powder Mill Explosion Troy, March 29 - Three men were killed outright and another so badly injured that he died a few hours later, by an explosion at the Schagticoke Powder mills, north of this city yesterday afternoon. The men killed were James Wright and Charles Colburn of Hazardsville, Conn., and James Sprague and Albert Bartlett, the later being new employees. The men were at work in the corning mill when the explosion occurred and the cause is not known. The bodies of three of the victims were blown to fragments and after the accident were scooped up into water buckets. The fourth victim, White, was found 300 feet away, alive but he could not recover. It is a remarkable fact that no fire among the buildings succeeded the explosion. Coroner Tarbell is ill and he deputized Deputy Sheriff Scougall to take charge of the case and collect the remains. Identification was almost impossible. All of the victims were married men. One of the latter intended to move his family to Schagticoke this week from their Connecticut home. The explosion caused a great amount of damage to windows in Valley Falls and Schagticoke and the shock was plainly felt in this city. A large tree near the powder mills was badly twisted by the force of the explosion and pieces of timber roofing and iron found refuge in the branches of other trees near by. The buildings destroyed were practically new, having replace those blown up May 10 of last year, at which time two employees were instantly killed. The plant will be built immediately. The monetary loss will be several thousand dollars. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.