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Note: CORNING MILL LETS GO AT THE POWDER PLANT 6/20/1917 Two men are instantly killed this morning in Du pont mill, near Oliphant. But no one was injured Muffled detonation heard throughout section gave notice that deadly explosive had again let go--- The men killed were well known. THE DEAD Albert Walters, unmarried, aged 23, son of James A Walters of Fairchance, member of Camp 138 POS of A. Arthur Garner, unmarried, son of William Garner Sr. of Oliphant, a member of Co. K, Tenth Pennsylvania Volunteers, former resident of Kittanning. There were no injured. At 7:52 o'clock this morning a muffled detonation, ominous sound to thousands of residents of this section. Followed by a long, high, white smoke spiral indicated to Uniontown that another powder explosion had just occurred and that the ever menacing explosive was again on a rampage. The location was quickly ascertained (to be) in the Corning Mill of the Dupont Powder Company in the hollow between Fairchance and Oliphant. Young Walters and Garner were the only employees of the mill and (were) in the regular routine of their work when the vast quantity of powder stored there let go. Superintendent Dulany went immediately to the scene of the explosion and did what was possible under the circumstances. His assistant in the Dupont office was unable to state either what quantity of powder was stored in the corning mill or what the amount of the damage was. The dead men were both well known and popular in Fairchance and today there is sorrow in many homes. The families of the ill fated 26 who were killed in the Rand holocost of October 1905 and the surviviors of other fatal explosions of both the DuPont and Rand factories all were sympathetic and as helpful as possible to the bereaved families. Albert Walters was a life long resident of Fairchance, a member of the POS of A and prominent and active in all civic life of the community. The fact that there were no other employees used in the corning mill is all that kept the fatalities to the size that they were as all who were in the mill would have likely been killed as were Walters and Garner. The saddest part about the death of young Albert Walters is the fact that his older brother, William Walters was killed in a former explosion and John Robinson, his brother-in-law, also lost his life in a powder explosion some years ago. He had often been advised to give up his employment in the powder mill but had always said he would stick to it. His father, James A. Walters, is a well known lumberman of Fairchance.
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