Stowmarket Guncotton Explosion

The Stowmarket Guncotton Explosion happened on the 11th of August 1871, at the Prentices Guncotton Factory in Stowmarket, Suffolk. It was blown up by two massive explosions, that occurred within the factory, killing 87 people and injuring hundreds. The noise of the explosion was reported to be so loud, that it rattled the windows in Diss, approximately 17 miles away.

It was a Friday afternoon when the two explosions took place. The impact uprooted the nearby railway line and caused over 188 cases of deafness. The UK Government issued an order with a reward of £100 to find out the cause. The cause was probably several tons of gunpowder combusting due to the summer heat and the poor standards of hygiene, as well as a blatant disregard for health and safety.

Two sons of the Prentice family, who owned the factory, were included in the list of the dead, one killed in each explosion respectively.

Many of the dead were not given a memorial at the time, and there were reports of the Suffolk council downplaying the number of fatalities. However, there is now a small memorial at Stowmarket Old Cemetery.

References

 The Mechanics' Magazine and Journal of Science, Arts, and Manufactures. Volume 96. April 6, 1872. pp. 283–284. Accessed January 2014.
 Van Nostrand's Eclectic Engineering Magazine. p. 322.

Category:Disasters in Suffolk
Category:Stowmarket
Category:1871 disasters
Category:1871 in England
Category:19th century in Suffolk