The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-04-20
KILLED BY FIREWORKS.
Two Boys Roasted to Death
at DetWi11er & Streets
Factory.
SEVERAL OTHERS BADLY HURT.
Nothing Known of the Horrible
Tragedy Until the Ruins We're
Cleared Away After the
Explosion,
SEVERAL OTHERS BADLY HURT.

An explosion. followed by hot fire, oc
Cured in workshop No. IL of Detwiller &
Streets fireworks plant at Greenville, al
ternoon. Two boys were burned &c
death and several other employees were
seriously injured.
The plant is located on the Newark Bay
shore, at the foot of Woodlawn avenue
The buildings, about forty in all, are one
story frame structures, and over two hun
dred and fifty men, boys and girls work
in them. Building No. 12 was situated
on the north end of the property.
Eight hands were empl Dyed there, two
men and six boys. The building was
used for the manufacture of "mines" and
railway signals"
Albert Bottle, fourteen years old, of No.
III Walker avenue. and John Bettinger,
fourteen years old. of No. 165 Fulton ave-
Due, who were burned to death, were en-
pIoyed in tying up highly explosive ma
terial in small bags for the ''mines."
The other four boys, Foreman Witteck
and Charles Gresheimer, were in the
building at the time the explosion oc-
CURED. What caused the explosion and
what burst is not known.
GRESHEIMER TELLS THE STORY.
The story is best told in the words of
Gresheimer.
"Boltie, Bettinger and Edward Parson,
fourteen years old, of No. 155 Runyon
avenue, were at work." said he, tying
up powder in bags for the mines. Sud
denly there was loud report. The sides
OF the building were torn out and the roof
fell in. Five of the employees were car
ried out with the sides of the building.
Foreman Witteck and l were among
them.
"The explosion was very sudden. and
what caused it is mystery to me. l re-
ceived a few light burns about the head" F."
The company's chemical engine was at
once called into service, and the work
men, together with the flremen of No.
Truck and No. Is Engine, who had ar
arrived in the meantime succeeded in put
ting out the fire.
CHASTITY DISCOVERY.
1t was not known that, Bottle. Betten-
ger and Paulson were buried beneath the
ruins until the fire was quenched. The
firemeu thought that they escaped with
their lives until one of the employees not
fed him that they were not to be found
about the plant.
The work of rescue was at once begun,
and Paulson was found unconscious be-
meath mass of lumber. He was severe
ly burned about the head, face and body,
and was removed to the City Hospital in
an ambulance.
PINNED DOWN IN DEATH.
The bodies OF Boltic and Bettinger were
found side by side. and pinned down by q
beam which mad to be cut before the pod.
les were released. Both bodies were
burned to crisp, and were removed to
Zeiger's Morgue on Ocean avenue. where
they were identified later by the boys pa
rents.
Jacob Moersh, fourteen-year-old- boy
who was working at table on the west
side of the building was thrown about
twenty feet in the air. He landed on a
grass plot, ana was stunned for a
few moments. When he recovered he
picked himself up, and finding he was
unhurt, ran home
Mr.. DeJwiller, as soon as the fire
started ordered all the buildings vacated
and closed. There are tons Of highly ex-
plosive material stored in some of the
buildings near the destroyed structure
aud it was feared that one or more of them
would be blown into the air. The fire.
men worked hard, however, and in less
than an hour the flames were quenched
The loss on building and stock is bul
$500 No insurance.
Edward Paulson, who was taken to the
City Hospital, is resting quietly and is in
a fair way to recovery.