CWRT May 2024 Meeting: Lynn and Julianne Herman on "The Allegheny Arsenal Explosion"

Lynn and Julianne Herman on "The Allegheny Arsenal Explosion" For more inf: www.chicagocwrt.org The Allegheny Arsenal, near Pittsburgh, produced ammunition for the Union army. By 1862 the workers turned out some 128,000 cartridges daily by working six days a week, twelve hours a day. The arsenal employed one hundred fifty-six ladies and girls. In the summer of 1861, the arsenal had dismissed over one hundred young boys when they discovered their careless behavior with matches and tobacco. They discovered replacing the boys with girls was just as efficient and by 1862 had employed many young girls and women using their small hands and fingers to pack the cartridges at a rapid rate. Although they all are aware of the danger working with black powder, the chief ingredient in making the ammunition, they continue on filling the cartridges as fast as possible depending on the supervisors to keep them safe. On September 17, 1862 (the day of the Battle of Antietam), a spark from a horse's shoe ignited that powder. The resulting explosion and fire saw 78 workers lose their lives, 72 of whom were women. The Allegheny Arsenal explosion was the worst civilian disaster during the Civil War. Julianne Herman worked for 45 years as a Registered Nurse in the operating room. She has long been drawn to the study of historical events, both nationally and 2 worldwide. Her interest in the Civil War increased during the 125th Anniversary commemorations, and she began reenacting and studying various aspects of the war. As a civilian reenactor (with her husband Lynn), she became increasingly interested in women's roles during that time period, including the seemingly unlikely role of women working in a military arsenal. She is secretary of the Central PA CWRT.