New-York tribune., 1881-09-02
AN EXPLOSION IN FRoNT-sT
TWO woRKMEN PROBABLY KILLED

bhSziNE TANK 1GNITTD IN PAf-RRSDEkuSd
FAcToRY-IT ExPLoDEs AND A FIRE FoILows--
TWO MEN MISSING AND SUPPOSED TO BE BURIED
IN THE RUNs-THREE OTHERS INJURED.
loud explosion, followed Immediately by fhe
r1sing OF dense volume of smoke and by the
breaking out OF flames occurred in Frontse..
near Jackson-st. shortly after o'clock last
evening. Two alarms were sent out, and the
hremen were directed to the ruins OF
an old sugar house standing in Front-st and ex-
lending TO South-st. The numbers in Front-st were
SI4 TO $50 inclusive. The sugar-house formerly
owned by wealthy refincr named Ockershausen.
was DESTROYED by fire in August, 1876, and was
never rebuilt Two years ago a furnace for con-
suming garbage was built there. bat the Board of
fohce decided not to use it. Afterward some tenn
porary sheds were put up TO cover machinery, and
the place was let to Jones g. Chambers who carried
on fat-rendering business. the firm being known
as the New-York Extracting and Fertilizlng Com
pany. The works were kept running day and nighs
recently
SIX men were at work last evening when the ex.
pioson occurred. They were F. ID. Loomis the
foreman, who acted as engineer; Michae DoyIs
Drniei Bradley Bernard Kane, John Green and
Ihomas kalen. Bernard Kane, a German, sixty
years Old who acted fireman was IN the fre-roour
looking after the furnace. Bradley Green and
Kalen were attending the scrap mill where the fsf
was beng ground preparatory to being put under
the hydraulic pressure Loomis and DOYLE were In
the South-st part of the works. Doyle was carry.
ing a lantern and was near an iron tank in which
was stored large quantitv of benzine used in 70.
ducing the waste matter to fertilizng material
There was an order against taking light near tia
benzine tank, and Loomis called out 70 Doyle to put
out the lamp. The words were hardly spoken be-
lore the benzine in the tank caught fire. The tank
was oiown to fragments the top being hurled TO a
great height. The force of the explosion damaged
the sheds near the tank and set them on fire. wfs
the benzine burst into fame. Loomis was blown
over fence into South-st., but he escaped with
few slight bruises. In the shed which covered the
scrap-mill, at the Front-st end Of the works, the
shock OF the explosion was SO great that the men
were thrown to the ground.
In few seconds the shed caught fire. The men
In the shed were imprisoned for time. Kane tho
fireman, crawled into Front-st. through an opening
IN the wall. Roundsnan Wapdling and Policeman
Cullen, of the Thirteenth Precinct, who happened
TO be near the works when the explosion took place
helped TO pull Kane into the street. They after
had made their way into the fre-room after tha
sheds had begun to burn. Green's arms and hands
were burned badly and he received a serious cat
over the right eye. He was taken to a drug staTe
in Jackson,st; and afterwards was sent to Believes
Hospital. kalen received slight cut ON the head
but escaped the flames
Soon after Green and Kalen had been rescued, ths
fremen arrived The flames were extinguished In
about hall an hour. Loomis, whose injuries wero
slight, had gone to his home in South Brooklyn 10
fore the flames had been put under control and fnr
a time IL was not known that any of the wOrkmsn.
were missing. The firemen were leaving the plaza,
when James BRADLEY age fourteen. of No. s59 Cher~
ryst informed the police tha this brother Daniel waa
missing and probably was buried under the ruins Of
the scrap-mill The boy said that he had gone ta
get can OF beer for his brother only five minutes
before the explosion occurred, and he was on lis
way back to bis brother when he heard crash and
saw the smoke rise. lie said he left his brother
the scrap mill Ii was aseertained Also that Doyle
was missing. man to whom Looms had described
the explosion, before he went TO Brooklyn, informed
the police that Doyle last seen near the benzne
tank Chief Bates, who had fingered at the soene
OF the hre, was told that two men were believed To
be buried in the ruins He had hook
| and ladder company summoned and a search
For awhile the worked by the light of lanterns,
but at length a calcium light was provided. The
and bales of fat which were scattered about the
ground where the sheds had stood, were moved
about but the tremen were unable 10 find any traod
of the missing man, lt was decided, at length, to
wait until daylight before finishing the search.
U, The police estimated the loss by the flames st
$500. The proprietors of the works. Jones 50
Chambers, both live IN Brooklyn. it was said. They
were not at the works last night and il thought
that they were ignorant of the explosion. Foe
several weeks the works have been run against
the, earnest protest of persons living
in the nelghborhood. An unusual number of deaths
having occurred in the houses near the works this
summer. the Board of Health was induced, about
two months ago, TO order Jones q Chambers 10
pend operations. The firm, however, gained from
the Board permission TO use up all the stock
lease of the premises would expire in Septembsr.
Fresh complaints were scot TO the Board yesterday
were getting in more stock II could not be learned
last night whether or not the works were insured.
Ii WAS beieved that the explosion was caused by
carelesSness on the part of Doyle.
THE MISSING AND INJURED.
Following is list of the injured and missing
workmen:
BRADLEY, DANIEL, age eighteen. OF No $50 Cherrve1
He last under a shed at the Front-st end II
the works, and he is believed 10 have perished in
the fire
DOYLE, MICHAEL, about thirty years old His place Of
residence believed 10 be somewhere la the ar
part OF the city. He near the tank OF benzine
when il exploded. It is thought that he killod
by the explosion.
GREEN, JoHS, forty-one OF No. Goa Water-st. Ha
was burned badly about the arms and hands while
escaping from the IRE. He also received a serio1s
cut the head by being thrown down bp the explO-
sion. He has a wife and five children.
KAlN, THOMAS age forty-nine, OF No ll3 Forsytllst
who hurled TO the ground by the explosion, and
received a slight cut the head. He hons
after his wound had been dressed by police sur
LOOMS, FRANCIS D., the engineer OF tho works who
lives in South Brooklyn. He received slight in
jnrles. He went home without seeking medical "a,
sistance.