The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-18
INTERCOLLEGIATE SLAUGHTER.
Explosion Near RidgefeId, N. ia Factory
DemOlished-FOur Lives Lost.

A little hamlet known as Little Ferry Farm,
located upon the Hackensack river, about mile
from Ridgefeld, in Bergen county, was yester-
day the scene of a terrible explosion Upon one
bank of the river at that place stands Tai p.
Shaffner's nitro-glycerine factory. 1t is long,
low building OF brick, one story in height,
nestled in among several little hills. Several
men have been engaged in the place in some
capacity or other, and most of them were at
work there yesterday. A few were absent from
their places, either witnessing or participating
in the celebration of st. Patrlck's Day.
A large quantity of the explosive material
made at the factory was to have been shipped
from there yesterday, and a number of men
busted themselves in removing it from the
storing-rooms in the factory to sloop lying at
u wharf near by, which was to carry it away.
The material was packed in bags, and SO packed
was thrown over the backs of workingmen and
borne to the vessel. According to one account,
one of these men, less cautious than the rest,
while carrying bag upon his shoulder lost his
hold upon it. 1t fell and exploded, and the ex-
ploson started second explosion more terrible
than the first. The bulk of the material stored
in the building exploded.
The consequences are beyond description.
The building lay mass of ruins, scattered for
rods around. Bricks and mortar were hurled in
every direction. Rafters, broken in pieces,
were scattered everywhere. The boiler, broken
| in some places and indented in Others lay many
teet from the spot where it had once stood.
Nothing but the chimney of the factory re-
manned intact. The explosion was heard for
miles around, and its force broke the windows
of houses mile distant upon the neighboring
hills. Frightened by the noise and the shock
which the explosion occasoned, people rushed
from their houses to find out what had occurred,
and when told, repaired TO the spot to see the
ruins.
Mr.. Shaffner, the owner of the materials in
the building, estimates his loss at $75, ,000 and
says it is not covered by insurance. He states
that the explosion was caused by the inunda-
tion reaching the high grade of acids required
in manufacturing nitro-glycerine, the combus-
ton of which led to that of the nitro-glycerine,
of which there were 1000 pounds on hand But
the loss of property was not the only loss sus-
tanned by the catastrophe. -Four lives were sacri-
feed to the carelessness of the incautious work.
man. The bodies of these unfortunate men were
torn limb from limb, and scattered like the
mason work all over. High up in the air one
was thrown, and it descended into the river.
One of the legs of one man was found lying 200
feet distant from the scene of the catastrophe.
Many of those who were not killed were more
or less injured. One was struck upon the head
by a flying brick-bat and severely cut and
bruised. Another sustained fracture of the
leg,
The sloop itself, considering the amount of
damage elsewhere, escaped comparatively un-
harmed. Her mast was broken off, but beyond
that she suffered little or no injury.