The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-03-18
NlTRO-GLYCERINE AGAIN.!
sgE FICrORY NEAR HACKENSACK
BLOWN 10 ATOMS.


onr MAN seriously Injurcd-Only the
chimney Len standina-The New Jersey
I,ui.laturr'- Act for the X removal Of the
Pnctory-7, 900 Tons Of the Explosive.
Day before yesterday the Legislature of New
Jersey enacted law that nitro-glycerine factory,
,,u,,ed about two miles below Haekensack, should
no removed before the nrst Of July. The offensive
establishment WAS removed yesterday enec tually.
At about 10 O'Clock yesterday morning sterrihc
aetonation was heard near hsckensack, as OF an
earthquake Iustinctiyely. oil who heard II sup
posed 1t to be the niuoglycerine factory.
A party fastened 10 the spot. Nothing was found
uhere the factory stood but the chimney. The
ground round about WAS strewn with the fag-
nsn,s and the only remains OF those who worked
mere that could bo found wero little bits OF red
meat sticking IN the desris 10 every direction.
Four men and q boy were st work In the place
mollanlers, at the time One OF them was outside
and ESCAPED DEATH out is too seriously injured to
give any information on the subject or the cause OF
the disaster.
The other three men and boy were blown to
atoms What could be gathered up OF their re-
mains was put into baskets and boxes, and about
bushel altogether WAS gathered, CHASTITY heap OF
human flesh, not piece OF which was larger than
the hand.
The one man remaining alive being unable to give
information, the cause Of the acciden. eau only be
eonjectured. No one seems TO know much about
the place. It being considered too dangerous among
the people there to viS!t oiton. How much OF the
material was stored there Ia not known, butt must
have been considerable. Many OF the unfortunate
victims friends having heard OF the calamity last
evening, hasteped over to the place. They speak
but little English, snd were unable TO understand
The question whether they knew the victims OF their
names.
kxorHlR ACCOUNT.
Al 1880 A. NJ. yesterday the village OF Rdgeneld,
formerly HaeEensack Junction. on the Northern
N J. r. r., thrown iato excitement by terrific
explosion OF nitrosy cerne a the factory belonging
10 Col. shafner OF New York. situa,sd close
to the junction The foreman OF the hetory,
Herman Myers, and two laborers, besides little
boy, not attached TO the factory, we're Instantly
killed. and their bodies blown in such fragments
that no trnce OF them could be found yesterday.
The factory was built OF brick and has been stand.
log about two years. II Was $50 feet long aud 50
feet wide ana contained ct the time OF the accident
7o0 tons Of nitro sycerine, together with materials
enough for making about q, 900 pounds more.
The interior OF the Ec,ory was fitted up with
tanks and implements sun eient to make about a,00o
pounds OF nitro giy eerine per diem. The materials
consisted principally OF nitro and suphurlc acid,
supposed to be Of the highest gravity. TIE factory
and Its surrounding outbuildings were inundated by
che recent high tides, which caused, as far we
learn, the necessity OF placing these acids upon 4
platform, and tits supposed the grating OF come Of
the ealcys eontsininE these acids produced the Ore
which caused the eIplos OF OF iae nItrogiycerine.
The whole building was destroyed, being blown 10
atoms, and the remains OF the three men ana boy
who were own up with the building have not as
yet been iound, partly owing TO the ruins being still
under water. There were some OF the factory men
within three hundred yards OF the accident with o
team Of horses but curious to relate they did not
feel the shock in tho slghtest degree mearsly hear
Ing the explosion.
The En- -leN ood Railway station Is situated abou,
smie and quarter from the scene OF tLe accident,
and about ten minutes after its occurrence a train
passed by, causing the passengers some alarm and
anxiety although no danger was evident.
The loss is estimated at k75, 900
TUE VERY LATEST FROM uAcKENsAcK.
Another Of those fearful accidents, which from
time to time horrify the reader by their unnatural
atrocity, has again served to starte from the com
parative security In which we have passed the cur
rent week. For the past year and ha company
OF New Workers have been engaged in m1nufaetur.
ing nitro glycerine at u factory situated on the
marshes, about mile distant ron Ridseded, N. J.
The factory is owned by Mr.. william Llwton, OF
Il John street, and wa originally occupied by the
New York Beet Sugar Company and after tie ail.
ure OF that concern, remained unoocupied until
made use OF for lis present dangerous service Ye..
terday morning, at precisely 8 minutes to 10, the
neghborhood were startled by two explos ions FOL
lowing ore alter another, and soen the heartrcndng
Intelligence spread around that the factory was de.
etoyed, and with II four human lives.
The shock caused by the explosion was distinctly
felt six miles away, and the windows OF houses ur
miles distant were broken By the conclusion, For
some time past tho neghbors have teen taking very
nSue measures 20 nave Tue mana'aeLure OF
Sy the srosser par, % OF the He'''' re.dsnts iEaas
ture. Shortly aner the explosion there were numer-
Gus run ors anoat to i,s cause some saying that
in rentyns the bags containing the ntrogy csrine,
ground and exploded: None Of the employees who
were working at the factory lives to tell the
OF the bodies have been founi, and 1t is generally
supposed that they were blown to pieces by the
force OF tie eoncus'on. At the time Of the explosion
the hands employed were engaged In taking the
bags Of nitro.gycerine out OF a well ana
conveying them TO sloop for shipment The factory
with paper md wood roof 1t was nearly entirely
destroyed, ard the chimney and boiler is
ports about the neighborhood that large
quantities OF nj TO glycerne are buried about the
swamp: but We not put much faith In those state
mentr The nitro-glycerno has OF late been mixed
with some material called sol cake. and made into
mealy substance and thus shipped In bags. 1t was
than the original process. Our reporter gathered
the following facts frOm eye witnesses:
Gabe CARING stated as follows: / stood on the
porch OF the WashI gton Hall Hotel, watching some
men who were cutting on some willow limDs, and
they were right In ringe OF the factory. saw the
roof OF tue building blown some four hundred feet
In the air, and tie paper and boards came
Stumbling down, scattered oil over the neigh.
borhood. portion OF the roof fell into tie
creek about four hundred var 3 from where
factory and some OF the brick and lebris fell close
TO me, distant about hall mile from the scene Of
the eIplo sion. The second explosion fo ol0wcd quick
after the hrst but nothing seemed to De raised hy
but dense cloud OF smoke. I have been WnlAi..
round all da, and have not found an thin. ,Scru'
scraps; everything appears TO have been blown into
atoms
John Relter, brother OF Leyn Rritcr, deceased.
states: an employed by the Company, and have
been working Tor them for scme time past. Yestcr.
day morning, shortly before 10 O'Clock, / was r.,
turning from the slo0p with Wheeler and the wagon
10 get second load aa we had just cartcd twenty
b1gs and had Just reached the lOOacre bank about
100 yards from the factory, when / saw the entire
roo Of the building blow up in the air, anu
the pieces FELL scattered about. The pieces OF the
roof fell In all directions and some OF them close
me. Wheeler was In his wagon at the time, and
was standing by II, After the first explosion | saw
my mother and the other men standing by the bags
that they had raised out Of the well, and Just us
turned my head heard the second explosion, aud
looking round sawa cloud OF smoke and they had
dl.appeIrod entirely.
Dick IIonches ST. ted am the father OF the boy
that MIS- Killed He went lli4 morning % collect