480 
EDITORIAL. 
be  visited  by  so  terrible  a  fate,  as  is  detailed  in  the  following  extract 
from  a  Richmond  paper. 
''Horrible  Catastroplie.~yiv.  Joseph  Laidley,  the  well  known,  chemist, 
came  to  an  untimely,  sudden  and  horrible  death  about  20  minutes  to  one 
o'clock  yesterday,  by  the  explosion  of  a  quantity  of  detonating  powder, 
which  he  and  an  assistant  named  Robert  Clayton,  of  Manchester,  were 
preparing  for  the  use  of  the  Confederate  Army,  in  a  building  erected  es- 
pecially for  their  use  on  an  eminence  in  rear  of  the  State  armory,  and  equi- 
distant between  that  and  Thomas'  Factory,  where  cartridges  are  now 
being  fabricated  for  the  Government.  At  the  hour  above  named  an  ex- 
plosion was  heard  resembling  the  discharge  of  a  six-pounder.  On  repair- 
ing to  the  place  a  scene  of  rare  horror  met  the  gaze.  The  wooden  out- 
building, and  the  interior  one  in  which  the  powder  was  manufactured,  were 
found  blown  down,  and  many  of  the  timbers  wrenched,  twisted  and  broken 
in  a  manner  to  show  the  almost  inconceivable  power  of  the  powder.  Mr. 
Laidley  was  found  lying  on  his  back,  one  of  the  most  horrible  objectsof 
mutilated  humanity  which  it  is  possible  to  conceive.  Within  a  few  yards 
of  the  body  was  found  a  portion  of  the  poor  man's  brains,  looking  as  if 
they  had  been  torn  by  a  superhuman  agency  from  the  skull  and  splashed 
upon  the  floor.  The  entire  head,  except  the  lower  jaw,  had  been  blown 
off,  and  nothing  remained  to  mark  the  features  of  a  man,  except  a  pair  of 
whiskers  and  a  portion  of  the  neck.  The  right  arm  was  torn  off  below 
the  elbow,  and  from  the  bloody  stump  hung  the  fragments  of  nerves,  veins 
and  sinews  which  were  left  behind.  The  hand  was  afterwards  found 
about  two  hundred  yards  from  the  place  of  explosion,  in  the  yard  of  the 
State  Armory,  a  portion  of  the  face  was  likewise  found  (it  is  said)  three 
hundred  yards  distant,  near  the  banks  of  the  river.  The  search  for  the 
remainder  proved  unavailing. 
As  soon  as  the  facts  became  known  a  large  number  of  persons  collect- 
ed, among  whom  were  several  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  of  which  he  was 
a  member.  These  gathered  up  the  remains  and  conveyed  them  to  a  house 
in  the  rear  of  Thomas'  factory,  where  a  metallic  coffin  soon  after  arrived, 
and  the  body  was  prepared  for  burial. 
His  assistant,  Mr.  Clayton,  was  found  in  a  reclining  posture  against  a 
post,  doubled  up  as  if  he  had  suffered  a  fearful  contortion.  He  was  per- 
fectly insensible,  and  so  remained  up  to  a  late  hour  last  night,  but  it  was  not 
ascertained  to  what  extent  he  was  internally  injured.  L)rs.  Wellford  and 
Conway  weie  summoned  to  the  scene  immediately  after  the  accident, 
but  their  efforts  proved  unavailing  to  afford  relief. 
Among  the  rumors  connected  with  this  melancholy  affair,  was  one  to 
the  effect  that  deceased  had  been  seen  going  towards  the  laboratory  smok- 
ing a  cigar.  Several  persons  declared  that  they  saw  him  going  thither 
smoking,  a  short  time  before  the  explosion  was  heard.  It  is  said  that  he 
was  not  in  the  habit  of  smoking.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  a  cigar  was 
found  in  the  pocket  of  his  coat,  which  he  had  pulled  off"  and  hung  on  the 
wall  of  the  interior  room,  where  it  remained  until  after  the  explosion. 
Our  latest  in  formation  is  to  the  effect  that  the  fulminating  powder  was 
not  sufficiently  wet.  Its  manufacture  is  not  dangerous  when  proper  care 
is  taken." 
