The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-04
FACED A GUN.COTTON FIRE.
THREE KILLED AND ETaHT WOUND
ED At THE TORPEDO STATION.

Fire Was discovered In the Factory. and
tho Men Went to Attack It-Just Ms
They Approached the building the Expio-
sion Crme-srcretary Herbert's Regrets.
NEwroET July 3.-Three men were killed
and eight wounded in an explosion at LAO
o'clock this afternoon Mt tho Govornmen tor
pedo station In this harbor. The explosion
was in the gun.cotton factory. which was de-
stroyed. The killed are jeremiah Harrington.
foreman ofthc gun cotton gang; Frank Tough
lin. and Michael Reagan. The injured are.
Ensign Capehart, U. s. N. serious. but not
fatal wound In tho breast Mate Robert Rob-
inson. U. s. N. wound In side OF face: Daniel
Burns. Quartermaster. 80. wounds on his
body: James Dunphy. arm injured: Richard
Steel. piece out OF calf Of leg: Seaman Gunner
Kuhlnein. back injured; Peter Nelson. eye
lost, head wounded: Carl Kencl. side injured.
All tho injured men will recover.
At once after the explosion there was COM
motion in this city. Commander Converse
telephoned: Send over all your doctors"
Later he telephoned for linen for bandsges.
Wives, brothers, and sisters OF the persons en-
ployed at the station rushed to the wharves to
learn the news. Later. whom tho fire became
serious. more hose was telephoned for and q
reel was sent over. On the arrival OF the New
port flremen with apparatus on . lighter. tho
George A. Converse. who IL In charge Of the
station. had witnessed the explosion from q
distance and was hit by missiles. but not In
iured. Fire had been discovered In the factory.
Commander Converse FASTENED toward tho
factory. Harrington. who was killed. saw him
and ran toward him.
How did that get aflre2" asked the Com
mander. Harrington answered that the IRE
was the result Of spontaneous combustion in
untreated or raw cotton in the drying ROOM
Tho fire was in the northwest corner OF the
building, where there is no gun cotton. Com
mander Converse ordered the hose nut upon
the other end OF the factory so that all tho gun
cotton would be saturated with water and not
be dangerous should the fire reach II. But the
men either misunderstood or failed to hear
Mr.. Converse's order, and rushed the hose d.
rectly to that part OF the building whore tho
fire They SGse to the T when
and Of terrible force; and sent the men bleed.
ing to the ground. A score Of men rushed up
them to assist the fallen men. Harrington.
Reagan, and Loughlin were frightfully man
ssetcher dsd IN S Ss minpes and
4 small vt Sa LID I on tho island was made
ana Surgeon storss: from rom the traIniPe station:
children. Reagan leaves ten children, Com.
mander Converse wired Secretary Herbert at
Secretarys own signature as follows: Greatly
regret tho disaster. OF course you will leave
nothing undone to alleviate suffering"
The cause OF the fireiwas probably. as Har-
rtngton reported. spontaneous combustion,
but the cause Of the explosion is unknown.
The officers say there was not a Bit. OF e1plo-
sive material in the ond OF the factory where
tie Are was. They say the miaute ne door Of
tho burning building was burst open for the
hose. the explosion took place, and that thsre-
fore drauGht OF air may have been the cause.
as in tho case Of Hour mill explosions. Ensign
Capehart was hit with piece OF steam pipe.
and Therefore 1t 10 thought that the explosion
may have been due to the steam drying appar-
atus. Tho Navy Department will fully inyes-
tigate the matter.
years old, and on remote part OF the island.
The building was mere shell but the ma
chinery was special. and was, therefore. vaiu-
able. No gun cotton is made here now. except
probably rebuild. In the building destroyed
the first gun cotton ever manufactured In this
country was made Ensign Capehart, the only
offlcer hurt. was taken to his home on a
fatally injured. He will be housed a month.
Hia escape was narrow. He was sheltered
from the missiles by the man just In front of
him, who was killed.