The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-18
GIANT POWDERS POWER.
AN EXPLOSION THAT SHOOK THE
HILLS or NEW JERSEY.

The Atlantic Works Demolished and Tv IN
| Men Kiiied-The Precautions that Ind
Been Taken TO Prevent Accident-Incid tnt.
The residents OF Drakesvilie, N. j.. md
| OF the surrounding towns were stunr,ed by A
| terrific explosion at a little past midday on
Tuesday, and, running into the streets and look
ing northward over the rolling meadows, they
saw tall columns Of tossing smoke that spranR
from the elite OF the Atlantic Giant Powder
| Works, on a southern spur OF the blue Ridge
| Mountains. Tho air was filled with sDlintered
tmbers and boards; the hills and valleys reeled
for an instant; houses shook and ratified a
shower OF rubbish fell over the plain and then
the air cleared and the spectators saw on the
knoll that had been occupied by the buildings
OF the powder company only pile Of ruins
and smoking debrs. A multitude Of people
started across the lots TO the Of the explo-
sion. Piles OF twisted and half burned timbers
nlled the adjoining aolds; pieces Of pipes and
boilers were scattered In every direction; tho
trees OF the neighborl forest were stripped OF
| limbs and bark, anu for hundreds Of yards on
everv side were fragments OF wood and metal
aud pieces of human remains.
The works were about two-thirds Of q mile
south OF the little station OF Drskesville, ON the
| Morris aud Essex Rillroad, In an orchard of
fruit trees that crowns the summit Of SWELL
| Ing. grassy Knoll. About mile to the south,
over the green clover fields Of an elliotic plain,
| Is the struggling village OF McCainsville. The
valley Is shut In at the east and west by con-
vefeing mount lin ridges. winding forest
road leads tp from Drakesville to the powder
| works, and thence. passing under many swing
ing gates and whrllns stiles, Is merged In the
vllags streets Of McCainsville. Il. .rk forests OF
birch ana oak crowd closely upon the valley on
every side, and orchards Of fruit trees all the
plain WITH verdure.
| THE POWDER WORKS.
| At the base OF tho northern hill OF tho sucka-
sunny plain stood the works. They comprised
| two buildings tnst were separ tied bY road way
| and conf eoted by plank walk. The nrst house
was used for the storage of the acids-nitric and
| sulpnuIic-lnd II was simply a large shed, dlled
was about SOIeO feet In dimension, ana conssin, cor
ed huge tuo Ia which the acids were mixed.
Right south OF this house was similar one. IL
| which the mixed sctds we're stored and allowed
| TO cool in the crboys. Still east OF tins
building wss another house, and connect
tue mixing wss performed by which s the
| composition becomo- giant powder. The dlmen-
| slons OF the latter buiding were about 3OxI6
feet. The mixing house was divided into sew
eral compartmeDts. ON the first floor was q
| large tuD or vat into whi b poured the
| mixed acid. from tue nst house. Kight below
| this floor was second floor ABOUT four feet
deep, on which tho acid was united with tue oil
Of eivcrnue. After the com osition had been
| thoroughly united and 1t had become Miro
slycerine, the mixture was drawn on iuto watts,
which were placed on a third ho"I stu fdrther
| down In the erin On the third floor tho mix.
ture was thoroughly washed ana rnsed, and all
| the worthless aIticles we're removed. In the
process that has been described every means
was taken to remove all DossiUility OF acct tent.
| All the machinery was made oi lead-the softest
| metii-anu M the uniting OF the acids ano tina
| glyccrine OIL W iter was kept constantly pouring
| ulion tho machinery III. was ia contact y ith
| me mixture to prevent undue heat tnat migh.
set OH an explosion. All the tuOs were lined
with ieaI. aud between this metal and the sides
| of tue tues streams Of water were constantly
| playing.
| OTHER PRECAUTIONS.
| It was believed by thls company that an ex-
| piOsiOn-ercept through extrsme carelessntss-
| wOuId be all inpusslUity. Ga the Litter floor
| the mi xture become nitro-glycerine, and
| thereafter the utmost care used in handling
| II. On tue fourth 1OVr. winch was sttIl lower
tnsn tne third were aIk4ii tubes of capacity OF
| from 30 to $40 gallons. In tness me IS tue
| compOsition was Thoroughly W sned with soda
water and made ready for mixture with dope or
| fuler's EARTH by wuich process II becams giant
powder. Inc great dangerOi he manufacturing
| OF the powder lies IN conveying the uitro.
| glycenne from its watts to tue uope pans IL IL
| bece-saly 10 take 1t Ia vessels, anl the utmost
care must be used la preventing the slightest
| ConcussiDn. Aftsr tho nitrO-giyceuno has be-
| come mixed WITH the dope.tnd the com position
/ hos oesn raAed together thvre Is no longer any
| danger.
| by the breaKing OF tue O4ii Of a pi In rryIng
| the miro glycerino To the dops pan. Mr.. bred
| was reg rIeu as exceedingly careful IN lndling
| the gly ycerine, ana II l. said ia lie ALWAYS car
| riod tue prls between ms knees and W ikod al
| the sIowest pace. Inen ue w"uli not take Tue
! ntro-g cerine from the vat until the dope au
was prepared. SO that the explosive material
| might not De left exposed for moment.
THE VICTIMS.
| In the busiest lines from four TO six men
| only two, Frederick Johnson Lnd Patrick Gala
| gh r, were AZ work. M, JOnnsoui wac was u
swede, came IRON 3ln Francesca at tno time OF
| the oousT.-s siJn ~ tue wUrK5 ABOUT i've years
ago s"n essuhed tho position OF superint-nd-
| eHi. He mad recently Oeen welded To a young
| dy In McCainsyille. ana was bishY esteemed.
! nr. Gallagher was unmarried, and was native
| OF Baltimore. Botn men we're In The mixing
room at the time o tie explosion, and were blown
| INTO atoms. Scores of I'eis rs hunted among
| tue danoeions and tnick clover Of the Sucka.
| sunny meadows yesterday for fragments OF toe
| remains. Its supposed that Gallagher WAS
| blown To the north, and that Jyluspn yaa
| ued 10 the south. Gail gner wore u red shirt,
| aha n"ri,''..s al ~ wers found scattered among
| the trees Of the forest al tho fth A thl9n
| hone was picked up IN the woods, aud frag-
| meuts OF a back bone ana pieces OF nngels were
found In the grass Of tue plain. / he human re-
| mains were gathered ana placed In u sma | pno
| box, ana in the afternoon th-y were burie In i
! grave IN the little yiilaye cemetery OF Nice ans
| Viie. MIR. Johnson. just before he started for
| Work on tuesday Afternoon, stopped Ia the ho-
tel OF william Nortmann IN McCainsyile. and
| tnen went to hi, home. lie bade his vile good
| Ov he leaped over sto.e wall, and mad =
lis way arro,s lots 10 the works. IL Is said tn.t
| no htd nude AN engagement with friend in
| the village, and that ne was In hurry to get
| turOugh his work N the factory.
| INCIDENTS
| The shock OF the explosion IA described as
| teriihc. People we're siniiten az though they
| were paralyzvd. JUhn McDougsl, who was at
of a mile distant, WAS thrown headlong from the
| soanod OF the house. All the WINDOW glass OF
| the houses In the neign bornoud were sh Attered,
| ana tho slate roofs ol many houses were uD-
| nlted aud broken. n man, VINO was driving on
road several miles distant, saw cloud of
| smoke and many columns 81 ilsmes OF tno mos;
| ylvid colors. Ia the centre of lne flames was
| deep glowing red, Many apple AMI cher
| nv trees near the works were strip
| ped Of their foliage and limbs, AMI ia
| many instances were completely cleaned uf
| their bark. The storage mouse Oi the nanufao-
| tory wblch Is sltudtol 20 OF 80 yards east of
| the works under n NIL and which contained many
thousand pounls OF tIe giant powder ESCAPED
| win shattered roof anu broken walls. The
| shock Of the explosion was felt in Orange, "a
miles distant. aud br ladway rs miles away,
| The lOss - esti nateu AT from SIS 90 o. 10000
| On the site OF the mixing room TWO Il ep
| holes that were sOOopeu out bi the force OF he
| explosion. Tney uru aDout ten feet deep ana
| twenty ioet wide. 1t T. supposed ia Il Lb n, 400
| or b0O pp nd7 uf thu ntro-glycerine were IN tue
| WORKS at the explosion. lho Dia1esyLle works