From the Richmond Dispatch, 8/6/1862

Explosion of Fulminating Powder – Man Killed. A large mass of fulminating powder exploded about 11 o'clock yesterday, in the wooden house used for its manufacture, on Brown's Island, in James river, at the foot of 7th street, and instantly killed and dreadfully mangled William Pratt, of Washington D. C., the party engaged in its manufacture. The house was utterly demolished by the force of the concussion, and the fragments scattered far and near. One arm of the unfortunate Pratt was picked up some distance from the scene of the tragedy; the other was not found. His body was otherwise terribly mutilated and parts missing. It is of course not known how the accident occurred, as the only party who could give any reliable information on the subject, lost his life. This is the third time an explosion of like material, attended with fatal results, has occurred here, and it would appear that no amount of precaution suffices to guard against casualties of such a kind. Michael Goheen, who was aiding Mr. Pratt, but who was not in the building at the time of the explosion, was also severely injured by being thrown down and badly bruised.

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