More On the Washington Arsenal Explosion-- Part 1

From the June 15, 2014, New York Times Opinionator "An Explosion in Washington" by John Grady.

On June 17, 1864, a letter was read thanking the girls and young women at the Washington Arsenal for their large donation to the victims who had died at the 1862 explosion in the Pittsburgh Arsenal.  Hours later, an explosion ripped through their place of work as well.    It was described as being like "a sudden flash of lightning" destroying the 100-foot long laboratory by one survivor.
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Fire almost immediately engulfed where the women worked.  The arsenal's 1500 other men and female workers raced to the fire to put it out.  Some ran from the scene for fear the flames would spread to gun powder stored on the arsenal grounds.

Women working on the east side of the laboratory mostly escaped, but those on the west side, who were charging artillery shells, died immediately or were killed in the blaze.  A dozen or so escaped,  badly injured or burned, escaped to the tugboat wharf and were treated at the Armory Hospital.

The Arsenal was located on "The Island," actually a peninsula on the Anacostia River, south of the Capitol.

--Old Secesh