The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-05-27
DEADLY DYNAMITE.
It Blows the California
Powder Works to Atoms.
1T is CAUSED BY IGNORANCE
Several Thousand Pounds Explode
After Burning 3 Few Minutes
"a Terrific Explosion.

One of the most terrific explosions
that has occurred on this coast took
place last Tuesday evening at the works
of the California Powder Company,
near Pinole, Contra Costa County.
The accident was Ekept secret by the
company, and, the scene of the explo-
sion being in secluded place, no cor
rect account of the affair was learned
before yesterday. None of the en-
ployees were killed or injured, conss-
quently little importance was first at
tached to what might have been, had
the nitro-glycerine exploded suddenly,
q terrible catastrophe.
AS it is, the powder and nitro works
are completely demolished, and the
workmen badly demoralized. All the
Cinnamon have left and will not return
to work, SO much do they dread sim
liar recurrence. Anything like cor
rect estimate of the damage done
could not be had. though it is believed
to be at least 500, COO in loss of material
and plant. The loss to the business of
the firm will swell this amount con-
siderably, as orders must be filed and
the consumers will have to purchase
elsewhere.
TWO CONFLICTING STATEMENTS.
An Examiner man called yesterday at
the Office of the company, No. 230 Cali
fornia Street, expecting to obtain some
particulars of the explosion. He was
with q good show of carelessness and
q suggestive shrug of the shoulders:
"Oh, really there was nothing in the
whole affair. It was simply little ex-
plosion of dry nitro glycerine that had
remained over and accumulated from
time to time in the crevices of the pan.
All the nitro glycerine had been taken
from the pan and placed in another
reservoir for safety in the evening, so
nothing more than this small quantity
exploded.
"No injury was done except 10 the
small shed that covered the pan, and
that did not amount to anything. 1t
has already been repaired, and work is
being continued in the same shed. All
the men had left the works for the day
and nobody was injured.
Three thousand pounds? Why, if
that amount was exploded the whole
works would have been destroyed.
That's report merely, for the explo-
sion was trifiing one.
Every thing is going on the same as
before. 1t did not interfere with US at
ALL"
The secretary of another powder
company stated to the reporter that the
matter was kept quiet lest the stock
holders should hear OF it, and become
anxious about their stock. The powder
companies are fighting one another
now; they are competing bitterly in
prices and quality of their goods, so
none of them would like to make
known such disaster at its factory.
The rival companies will offer their
powder to the consumers of Hercules
powder, the brand of the exploded
works. Furthermore, people lear to
use the powder of factory that has
frequent explosions.
IF it blows up" he concluded, "at
the factory, where they are prepared
and fully equipped to handle it, it is
more likely to explode outside"
NOT FULLY POSTED.
The superintendent was next seen by
the reporter, at the works at Pinole.
He was not inclined to be communica-
tive over the accident, and apparently
looked upon the interviewer as an in
truder. His desk was Uttered with
plans for new buildings and plant, and
he was deep in diagrams of nitro.
glycerine pans and other tanks.
There was no explosion" he said,
ito amount to anything. don't see
how you could have been induced to
come here. The thing has passed now,
and the report about it was canard."
but it is said about 5000 pounds ex-
ploded. Is this SOP"
We'll, oh, well, that is an overesti-
mate. l am sure not more than 1000
pounds blew up, and perhaps not quite
so much as that"
Has any cause been assigned for the
explosion"
Il can see no other than decompo-
sition. 1t was the nitro glycerine that
had escaped from the pans at different
times that exploded first, and then a
tank went of. 1t started outside the
works from nitro-glycerine that got
into the ground and had decompesed.
1--WE allow refuse nitro-glycerine to
run into little creek, and possibly this
accumulated in the ground.
"Our loss, eh?" lifting his head I'M
willingly to answer another question.
Zone thousand dollars will cover it
here. don't know just how much the
loss Of business will amount TO, but it
will be considerably 1t stops our
manufacture for the time being, but we
will be all right in few days. 1t won't
take US long to start again.
"Eh? oh, yes. Good day."
A DEsoLATE SCENE.
Judging from the appearance of the
nlace. 1t will be good. nrnmnt work to