Cyrus Harding thought that it had not exploded; that it was possible some barrels might be saved, and that the powder, which is usually enclosed in metal coverings might not have suffered from contact with the water.
Cyrus Smith úgy gondolta, ha a lőpor nem robbant föl, akkor alighanem használható állapotban maradt, ugyanis rendszerint fémdobozban tárolják, s abban nem érheti nedvesség.