Emergencies and World Disasters
They Flinched at the Flash: The Unsolved Eddystone Blast of 1917
21 min•24 juli 2026
Om avsnittet
They Flinched at the Flash: The Unsolved Eddystone Blast of 1917
A sudden flash and eighteen tons of black powder ignited in an instant, flattening F Building and killing 139 people-mostly women and girls-on the morning of April 10, 1917; what produced the initial flash that left some victims found with their hands covering their eyes?
In this episode, we tell the events that unfolded at the Eddystone Blast Corporation plant: the factory layout, the crowded rush order, the cascade of detonating shells, and the three competing explanations that never produced a charge; how did a plant reopen in under two weeks after such a disaster?
Person: approximately 380 women and girls worked in F Building
Date: April 10, 1917
Location: Eddystone Blast Corporation, near Chester, Pennsylvania
Event: explosion of F Building destroying the structure and causing multiple detonations
Casualties: 139 dead
- The facility had been constructed in 1916 on the outskirts of Chester, Pennsylvania, visible from the Delaware River.
- F Building contained three sequential rooms: a pellet room, a loading room, and an inspection room.
- About 18 tons of black powder were being handled inside F Building, with over 50 additional tons stored nearby.
- Roughly 70 extra workers had been hired two weeks earlier for a rush order reportedly destined for the Russian White Army.
- The explosion was felt across six boroughs and shattered windows up to ten miles away.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
A sudden flash and eighteen tons of black powder ignited in an instant, flattening F Building and killing 139 people-mostly women and girls-on the morning of April 10, 1917; what produced the initial flash that left some victims found with their hands covering their eyes?
In this episode, we tell the events that unfolded at the Eddystone Blast Corporation plant: the factory layout, the crowded rush order, the cascade of detonating shells, and the three competing explanations that never produced a charge; how did a plant reopen in under two weeks after such a disaster?
Person: approximately 380 women and girls worked in F Building
Date: April 10, 1917
Location: Eddystone Blast Corporation, near Chester, Pennsylvania
Event: explosion of F Building destroying the structure and causing multiple detonations
Casualties: 139 dead
- The facility had been constructed in 1916 on the outskirts of Chester, Pennsylvania, visible from the Delaware River.
- F Building contained three sequential rooms: a pellet room, a loading room, and an inspection room.
- About 18 tons of black powder were being handled inside F Building, with over 50 additional tons stored nearby.
- Roughly 70 extra workers had been hired two weeks earlier for a rush order reportedly destined for the Russian White Army.
- The explosion was felt across six boroughs and shattered windows up to ten miles away.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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