As a number of gunpowder wagons made their way along George's Street (present day Washington Street) in August 1803, vibration disturbed one barrel and, unnoticed by the car men, the contents flowed along the ground in a steady trickle. A stumble by one of the car men produced a spark and without warning the escaped gunpowder exploded. Though many bystanders were shaken by the blast no injuries were noted. A far different tale would have been told if the powder casks had become engulfed in the explosion. A local newspaper reported the incidents and urged that caution be exercised in the future.