The morning call., 1892-07-12
THE POWDER EXPLOSION.
Inquest Over the Bodies of the
Five Victims.
Verdict Of Accidental Death A Mass
Meeting TO Protest Against Rebuild
ing the Works.

The inquest at the Oakland mOrgue yes
terday over the bodies OF the three white
men and two Chinese killed by the High
land explosion resulted only in a verdict of
accidental death.
The testimony Of the witnesses proved
nothing definite about the cause Of the ex-
plosion. Some of them had theories others
had none. Frank Roller. the Superintendent
Of the powder works, said. al believe il
was visitation of God"
The jury knew that the victims were
dead. They learned their names, their ages
and their birtbplaces. That was all.
To-day they will be buried, and the men,
oTy and signs Of the explosion viii fade
away.
BACK TO EARTH.
The funeral of Wallace Dickerson will
take place from the residence of his uncle,
William Diekerson, in West Berkeley; that
Of Charles Geburiig from tie National
CiUb Hall on University avenue, and Of
John Bowe from his late residence in West
Berkeley. Bowe's body viii be buried in
the Catholic Cemetery and those of the
others at Mountain View
The charred bones of the two Cinnamon
will be taken TO the San Fran cisco Chinese
Cemetery tomorrow morning.
THE sUPERINTENDENT's TESTIMONY.
At tie inquest Frank Roller, the superin-
tendent, testified that he was at Clipper Gap
at the time OF the explosion, but that his
presence at the works on the fatal morning
could rot have prevented I, disaster. Cau-
tiOn was an lnYarlable rule, and there could
have been TO carelessness about their work
on the part Of the men in the nitro-g -giyceriBe
house.
Charles r. Brown, a bro,her-in-lsw of
B0we, stated that he could not account for
q cause. He was employed there. and was
within $50 feet Of the uitro-glyeerine house
when 1t went up.
W. II. Williams, engineer in the CON-
pressed-air house, testified that he saw
Bowe sweeping down the troughs just be-
fore the explosion occurred. There was no
apparent cause for the explosion. He
would have observed it if there had been.
A SCENE OF CONFUSION.
George Ii. Philips, .hs shipping clerk
testified that everything was runn.Gg
smoothly Oh tie BorniDg - She explosion
Fifteen minutes before Is occurred he vas
IN TIE nitrO-glyceriBa house. aad Bowe.
GebDFtig and Dicgers0u had placed the
giycer.ne " sebaTat0Is ready TO be drawn
oil lie went to tie 5t0rehGuse aud then
the explosion came. His team ran away.
but he ana others started toward the
ElyceE9e- house. when they saw the acid
works aad carDoys on fire. They got buckets
&c put it out, and then the other explosion
came ana ali was confusion. lie was posi-
tive that the men could not have been care
less and believed that the explosion was
wholly accidental
Other witnesses gave testimony, the EVIL
dence mainly going TO identity the dead
bodies
The jury was composed OF John Schu-
macker, IL Denke, II. II. Meyer, c. b.
rutherford, a. A. Cunning, 1 Abbott and
Bud Rnggenberg.
A MAsS-MFETING
A citizens committee called mass-meet-
ing yesterday to protest against the powder
works being rebuilt in the vicinity of Berke-
ley. In response TO the call the town ball
was crowded. Trustee Weir was made
chairman and John Mccarthy secretary.
Speeches were made by George Maxwell,
Trustee Neihaus. James Lewis and others,
and committee of six was appointed to see
the directors Of the powder company and
to report at another meeting to be held next
Monday night. Trustee Neihaus stated
that he had been talking with one of the
directors aud that the latter had stated that
the company desired to rebuild powder
manufact0ry. but that 1t did not intend to
again establish st0rehouse.