The Times, 20 November 1871

EXPLOSION AT EWELL POWDER MILLS

An explosion occurred at the powder mills of Mr. J.C. Sharpe, situate about a mile from the Ewell station of the London and South-Western Railway, late on Thursday night or early on Friday morning last. The vibration was felt for some distance, and created considerable alarm at Epsom, Kingston, and other adjoining places. Upon the nature of the explosion becoming known, vast numbers of people quickly gathered to the spot, where it was found that a shed set apart for the storing of empty gunpowder barrels, but in which there was at the time of the explosion a considerable quantity of gunpowder in canisters, and fireworks which had been stored away, caught fire, and within an hour of the first explosion the building was burnt to the ground.

Although the actual damage done was comparatively inconsiderable, still great consternation was caused from the well-known fact that the shed blown up formed the centre of a number of other sheds filled with gunpowder. Fortunately, the shed destroyed was surrounded by a chain of ponds, and the fire was confined to the place where it began. The men employed at the mills left off work at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and it is not thought that they left any light behind them. The cause of the explosion is unknown, and we are happy to state that no one was injured.

The night watchman who is employed at the mills states that at a few minutes before the explosion he saw two men cross over a bridge leading from the shed. They were dressed in working clothes, but whether they threw any light into the shed or not he cannot say. The fact has been forwarded to the police, who are investigating the matter.