03/07/2026
circa. 1904 ~ Dynamite Hill: Bradenville PA.
Patrick Quinlan: Powder Man for the Kerbaugh Company Died a Hero
INTRODUCTION:
Here, I will show evidence that proves Patrick Quinlan, the Powder Man for the Kerbaugh Company who was killed in the explosion, died a Hero.
March 5, 1904, ~ "At five minutes to five o'clock this afternoon, the big dynamite house of the H. S. Kerbabugh company, located in a vacant field just east of Bradenville blew up, killing one man, injuring several other persons, demolishing entire houses and breaking thousands upon thousands of dollars' worth of glass in the windows of many of the buildings within a radius of four miles of the scene." (3)
“Patrick Quinlan, the Kerbaugh officials say, was an experienced powder man. He was their most trusted employee and had been employed as powder man for the last twelve years. He handled the powder on the largest railroad jobs ever undertaken by the Kerbaugh Company and was trusted in every way.” (2)
Evidence shows “…that a few seconds before the explosion a fireman in charge of the buildings was seen running from them toward men who were working in a cut nearby, waving his hands as though to warn them of danger.” (1)
Patrick Quinlan was an experienced powder man and the Kerbaugh Company’s most trusted employee, having served in that role for twelve years. As powder man, he was the specialist responsible for handling, storing, preparing, and issuing explosives. He managed the powder on some of the largest railroad construction projects ever undertaken by the Kerbaugh Company and was trusted in every respect. Around 1900, this was one of the most responsible and dangerous positions on a construction or mining crew, as a single mistake in handling explosives could cost many lives.
For a contractor such as Kerbaugh, the powder man effectively served as the explosives safety officer for the entire project. The position required deep familiarity with the chemistry and behavior of explosives, as well as practical experience supervising thousands of blasts. Experienced powder men sometimes remained behind when danger developed because their specialized knowledge made them the only individuals capable of preventing a catastrophe. In many situations, the difference between a minor fire and a devastating explosion depended on the split-second actions taken by the powder man.
A few seconds before the explosion, a fireman who had been near the buildings with Quinlan was seen fleeing toward men working in a nearby railroad cut, waving his hands as though to warn them of danger. A newspaper account described the moment, noting that the fireman was seen running from the buildings toward nearby workers “waving his hands as though to warn them of danger.” This evidence suggests that there was at least a brief moment in which Quinlan could have escaped with his life. However, because he understood the chemistry and physics of explosives, he may have judged in those final seconds that there remained a small opportunity to prevent the disaster. While the fireman fled to warn others and escaped with his life, Quinlan appears to have remained behind in an attempt to avert the catastrophe.
Quinlan has often been portrayed as a powder man who made a fatal mistake while handling explosives. However, when the available evidence is examined in light of the responsibilities and instincts of an experienced powder man, a different interpretation emerges. Rather than dying because of negligence, Quinlan may more appropriately be remembered as a man who lost his life while attempting to prevent a far greater disaster. Viewed in this light, Patrick Quinlan’s
WHY THE DYNAMITE WAS THERE:
“The Pennsylvania Railroad engineers were planning the right-of-way for the railroad from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia in 1850. When they reached Bradenville, just east of the town, they encountered a large hill. Instead of trying to go through the hill, they ran the tracks around the lower side of the hill. In 1903, the PRR decided to cut straight through the hill, which was about 80 or 90 feet high at the highest point. A contractor from Pittsburgh, the Kerbaugh Construction Co. was hired to do the job. A camp to house the workers was built near the PRR site. In doing the work, they had to drill the rock and use explosives to blast it loose. A powder house was constructed about a quarter of a mile from the operation to store the explosives. It was still cold weather, and the company had a stove in the powder house to keep the dynamite from freezing, and a watchman to look after the fire.” ~The Independent, Latrobe, PA, Nov. 9, 1995
CAUSE & INVESTIGATION:
“A number of houses owned by the plaintiff were damaged by the explosion of dynamite and blasting powder that had been stored in two small frame buildings, near each other and within a half mile of the plaintiff’s property. Several tons of dynamite were placed in a building fifteen feet square and seven feet high, in which a stove was used to heat the building and to thaw dynamite that had frozen. On three sides of the stove there were racks on which the frozen dynamite was placed to thaw for use.
There was testimony tending to show that boxes of dynamite placed on the racks would be from ten inches to two feet from the stove; that twenty minutes before the explosion there were boxes of dynamite on the racks and that the stove was red hot; that dynamite would explode without contact with fire at a temperature of 360 degrees; that it was unsafe to have a red-hot stove in a small building where a large quantity of dynamite was stored; that on the floor of the building there were bundles of wires to which were attached dynamite caps, which would explode if trodden upon; and that a few seconds before the explosion a fireman in charge of the buildings was seen running from them towards men who were working in a cut nearby, waving his hands as though to warn them of danger.”
~Derry Coal & Coke Co. V. Kerbaugh, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Opinion by Mr. Justice Fell
THE EXPLOSION:
“As the big hand of the clock in the Pennsylvania station at Bradenville reached to within five minutes of five o'clock, on Saturday afternoon, it was hurled to the floor by the force of an almost deafening explosion. The clock stopped, showing that it was 4:55 p.m. when the greatest explosion in the history of Westmoreland County occurred. At that time, the big powder house of the Kerbaugh Company, located in a vacant field, a short distance east of Bradenville, blew up, causing damage which it is thought will approximate $50,000.
The powder house was in two compartments. In one was stored a carload of dynamite, while the other contained 1,700 cans of blasting powder. The dynamite was the first to go. It all went together, except the sticks which were frozen. This caused the first and most terrific shock, and the force set off the powder, located 40 feet away, and the 1,700 cans were sent hurtling into the air. Many of them exploded while high in the air, like big bombs, causing the smaller explosions which were heard. The building was wiped out of existence, not a stick of timber being left.
Patrick Quinlan, the watchman, was hurled into eternity in the twinkling of an eye, and his body has not yet been found. Persons were heard to say last night that they did not believe Quinlan was in the house at the time of the explosion, because if he had been, some remains would have been found. Of them, it was asked why some remains of the big egg stoves which were in the house were not found, or why some remnant of the stock of the Cresson Supply Co. did not remain to tell the tale -- and they could not answer.
Patrick Quinlan, the Kerbaugh officials say, was an experienced powder man. He was their most trusted employee, and had been employed as powder man for the last twelve years. He handled the powder on the largest railroad jobs ever undertaken by the Kerbaugh Company and was trusted in every way.
The Kerbaugh officials can give no theory as to the cause of the explosion. They say that it will never be known. Stoves were kept going in the dynamite department all the time in order to thaw out the dynamite, which freezes very easily. The only possible explanation is that Quinlan, an experienced man as he was, made a false move while thawing out some dynamite, Quinlan leaves a wife and three children.
William Saylor, the walking boss of the. Kerbaugh Company visited the powder house shortly after four o'clock and inspected the place thoroughly. Quinlan was thawing out some dynamite for him, and he watched him doing it until 4:45 p.m., when a messenger informed him that a gang of laborers, working on the railroad below, wanted to quit work. He pulled out his watch and found that it was seven minutes to five.
"Work for a few minutes yet, boys," he called out.
He says that the words were barely out of his mouth when the explosion occurred. He was knocked flat on his back.
"I got up and started to run" continued Mr. Saylor, "'when the second explosion occurred. Again, I was knocked sprawling, and when I came to I found myself lying under a wagon 20 feet away. My watch was still clasped in my hand, and it had never stopped running." ~ Latrobe Bulletin, Mon. March 7, 1904
LOCATION:
Mining laws and company practice required explosives to be stored:
Away from houses and coke ovens
Away from the mine entrance
In a small wooden or stone building with earthen banks
Accessible by wagon or rail delivery
Distances were commonly:
300–1,000 feet from the mine
Sometimes placed on a small hill to isolate blasts
Based on newspaper descriptions, mine history, and the railroad layout, the Kerbaugh powder magazine that exploded on March 5, 1904, was located east of Bradenville, Pennsylvania, on the hillside historically called “Dynamite Hill.” Near the Bradenville Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, between Bradenville and the Red Shaft / Derry No. 2 mine district.
This placement fits almost perfectly with the location of the powder magazine serving Derry No. 1 and possibly Derry No. 2.
“The magazine was located on a hill near where the Pennsylvania Railroad is having a heavy cut made between Derry and Latrobe.”
~Indiana County Gazette, Wed. March 9, 1904
The PRR Bradenville Branch supplied multiple mines. Mines such as Derry No. 1 and No. 2 which needed large amounts of blasting powder and dynamite.
This location would have made it a central explosives depot for multiple projects, including mine blasting, railroad construction, and quarry or grading work.
This fits the general location where newspapers later described the Kerbaugh powder magazine explosion of March 5, 1904—“in a field just east of Bradenville.”
The Derry No. 1 Deep Mine worked the coal directly under the Bradenville area. Many historians suspect that Kerbaugh’s powder house served both railroad construction and nearby mines, which is why it was placed there.
The magazine was strategically positioned on a hill above the railroad cut to securely store large quantities of explosives. These storage sites were placed high to minimize impact from accidental explosions on the excavation crews below.
Dynamite Hill is at the end of Washington street in Bradenville. The area is private property, so please respect that. The magazine was likely located at the top of the hill, off to the right side. There was once a mound of dirt, possibly a slag or “culm” pile on the right. The mound was still present in the 1970s, but it may have long since been leveled. My sources tell me the magazine was located off to the right, just beyond the mound. Location is about 40°19'15.2"N 79°19'52.6"W
Approximate Location of Dynamite Hill on Google Maps:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/40%C2%B019'15.2%22N+79%C2%B019'52.6%22W/@40.3227083,-79.3364947,839m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d40.32089!4d-79.331268!5m1!1e4?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMwNC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Source:
Image:
AI Generated Image.
Text:
The Independent, Latrobe, PA, Nov. 9, 1995
(1) Derry Coal & Coke Co. V. Kerbaugh, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania,
Opinion by Mr. Justice Fell
(2) Latrobe Bulletin, Mon. March 7, 1904
(3) Latrobe Bulletin Sat. March 05, 1904
DERRY TWP. MINES. History of the Coal Mines & Coke Works of Derry Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. "Including an Index to the Coal Mines and Coal Companies of Derry Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A." By, Raymond A Washlaski Penn State University, Alumnus
