Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-01-10
4 DYNAMITE EXPLOSION.
The Tremendous and Fatal Effects Of
the Disaster at Black Oak Ridge, New
Jersey.
\. y. wnrla. Doc. nlh.

y. Y. World, Dec. s9th,
What are known as tho -. l.. Rand
Rendroc& Works" in the upper part
OF PaSsalc county \. j., were DESTROYED
Yesterday morning at five minutes 10
mne o'clock by an explosion, the shock
OF which was felt for miles. The works
are the property of the Latin & Rand
Powder Company, of No. 81 Park row.
New York, and stood NJ Black Oak
Ridge, two miles from Wayne station
ON the Montclair railway. and about
seven miles from Paterson. This is the
third explosion which has occurred NJ
these works in three wears, the last
having been on the second Of last
July, but without fatal result, the hands
being away ut dinner. Tho buildings
are IN n very lonesome place, distant
from any others. Several new build.
lngs were going up 70 replace those
destroyed IN July. All arc cheap sheds.
for the protection Of the workmeu and
materials. Up to the time of the ex
ploSlon yesterday, the rendrock or
dynamite powder haze been manufac.
tured in n little 2ON2O shed at the side
OF the hill. L was here that the ex-
ploSion occurred, and though only
ninety pounds OF nitro-glycerine (which.
when absorbed bv infusorial earth, is
dynamitel exploded The effect was
tremendous. The shed disappeared
utterly, and where il had stood was i
hole III the solid rock on which il was
built, fifteen feet deep. The frozen
ground about looked like II newly
ploughed field, and the icy surface Of
the adlacant lake was covered with \
layer Of soil and rock. The bic iron
barrels, used for the transportation Of
the materials from which rendrock is
made, were torn to pieces like paper
boxes, though they lay at quite dis.
lance from tho scene Of the cxpo-
sion. Two storthouscs were DESTROYED.
AZ the time OF the explosion there
were three men in the 20x20 shed John
Manly, Charles liausel and Ferdinand
Marks. They had been Mt work since
very, early N the morning, III order to
get through early and 20 homo to Fat
erson, where they lived. They were
blotted out like the building. To the
north of the works lies n small lake,
and here handouts of two of the bodies
were found later, half the head al ,.ne
and tho foot and boot ofanothcr. liausel
WAS n German chemist Of considerable
ability, and held the position of assist
ant superintendent. Not ono vestige OF
the body Of Marks, whereby to identity
his remains, could be found. Small
bits of his clothing were picked up
within II radius of two hundred Yards
to the south of the explosion.
Coroner Warner collected what he
could Of the indescribable remnants Of
the bodies, impanellcd il Jury, and held
IN inquest. As TO the cause of the ex.
ploslon, that will forever be left to CON
lecture.
The SUPERINTENDENT of the works, Mr..
George koehler, was Just returning
from dinner and on his way to the de.
stroyed building when the explosion oc-
CURED. Had he been two minutes
CARRIER the number OF killed would have
been four. According TO his statement
there were only six men employed on
the ground at the time Of the explosion
Three OF these were killed; one was in
Of the wall, and eschpednnihjNte,G line
was i'll the far end of the storehouse
farthest from the explosion, and receiy-
ed few scratches from ilyingsplintcrs:
the sixth was walking across the neigh
boring fields. The only theory which
my OF the employees cat give concern
ing the origin of the disaster is that
quantity Of the ntro-glycerine had been
llozen, and that one Of the men struck
il a blow to loosen it. The men who
we're killed were poor, and all leave
wives and several children.
A carpenter named Van Ness had n
very narrow escape. Hewas employed
N the new buildings, and Ind just pass
cd the building where the explosion oc-
cured, when he was lifted from his feet,
thrown some distance and covered with |
Iarth and debris. The building he had
been nj work on was also partially do
aroyed.
The shock Of the explosion was like
IN earthquake for radius of twelve
niles, breaking windows and shaking
wallis.