Saturday 12 September 2015

Such a dreadful explosion

Plymouth. A melancholy accident happened yesterday evening at the gun-wharf in the dockyard at this place. Mr. Brace, with his son, about 12 years old, G. Newman, R. Herden, and G. Searles, were employed in removing a quantity of bomb-shells, landed from the different French prizes lately brought in here, and purchased by Mr. Brace at public sale, when, by some accident, one of the shells took fire, which communicated itself to several others, filled also with combustible matter, and caused such a dreadful explosion, before any of the above persons could gel out of the reach of its destructive influence, that Mr. Brace and his son were killed on the spot, G. Newman had his right thigh blown off, and the other two were dangerously wounded. Many others had left the spot only a few minutes, by which providential circumstance their lives were saved.

The explosion was distinctly heard at Castletown, three miles and a half distant from the spot. A young midshipman was also brought to the Royal Hospital from the Castor, dreadfully mangled in his face and hands, having been blown up by letting off some loose powder from a priming powder-horn.

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