On Wednesday, September 17, 1862, around 2 pm, the arsenal exploded. The explosion shattered windows in the surrounding community and was heard in Pittsburgh, over two miles away. At the sound of the first explosion, Col. John Symington, Commander of the Arsenal, rushed from his quarters and made his way up the hillside to the lab. As he approached, he heard the sound of a second explosion, followed by a third. By the time the fire was put out, the lab had been reduced to a pile of smoldering rubble. Seventy-eight workers, mostly young women, were killed. Fifty-four bodies were unidentified, and were buried in a mass grave in the nearby Allegheny Cemetery. In 1924 the United States government disposed of the property and a high school was constructed on part of the arsenal grounds.

Offered here are relics of that tragedy along with a commemorative medal. The six bullets and separate piece of lead were recovered by Horse Soldier employee Jim Thomas on the athletic field of Arsenal High School facing Butler Street. These pieces were scattered during the explosion.

The 1909 Allegheny Arsenal medal is a 33mm bronze commemorative piece struck to mark the arsenal’s integration into the U.S. Ordnance Department and celebrate the site's history. The obverse shows the Arsenal gatehouse with the text "ALLEGHENY ARSENAL / ENTRANCE," and the reverse features the inscription "ORDNANCE - DEPARTMENT - U.S.A." and the date "1909". [jet][ph:L]

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