The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-21
FOUR INSTANTLY KILLED.
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION IN 4 WILLIAMS
BURGH FACTORY

a,orse Cnmrbeir's Rubber Cement Factory
r,oyn TO Pieces and tho Owner.
mi. Son, and Two Other. K,led-sup-
,o.ed to Have Been Caused by Nnphthn.
An EXPLOSION in George W. Campbell's rub
her cement and hattors' materials factory in
the rear OF PHI Walworth street. Williams
burrb, late yesterday afternoon resulted In
tho death OF the proprietor. his fourteen year
oId son, Charles: Joseph knce, the engineer.
and John y. McCutcheon. q laborer. The fac
torv was a ono. and q hal story frame build
ing standing back OF u two-story franc house
IN which Campbell lived with his wife and
three children Hannah. Charles. and John,
aged respectively IL. ii. and q years. The
factory was on the first floor where were To-
.ated the engine and boiler, tho varnish room.
and several machines Although the making
Of rubber cement is a dangerous operation
the neghbors never objected. for they had be-
come used to the factory and also because
Campbell had been in the business for many
years. Campbell had McCutcheon helping him
in the place while Knee looked after tho ma
chInery. Since the close OF school for the sum-
mer vacation young Charles has assisted his
father.
While Mrs. Campbell. Campbelrs wife. was
sitting on the rear porch OF her homo sewing
about o'clock yesterday afternoon. her son
appeared in the factory door. which faced the
rear OF the dwelling. and told his mother that
he had been working all the afternoon grind
Ing rubber moistcned with benzne into Jelly.
The boy told his mother that he didn't know
what was the matter. but the smell Of the
benzine made him sick. something which had
never happened to him before.
After the boy finished speaking to his mother
L h,, l. Int tha IN cloe ad ha
door, A few minutes afterward Mrs. Camp
bell heard her hus band laughing about some
thing. A little while later she heard him call
to the engineer: Joe. what is the matterp
the machinery has stopped" The next mo-
ment there was an explosion and the entire
roof Of the factory was blown OH and dropped
into the next yard. Mrs CampbeQ was thrown
from the chair in which she had been sitting
and rendered unconscious.
The explosion created small panic in the
we'll az those in Sanford street. which is mme:
diately in the rear were much Jared and
shaken. About the first person to recover from
PA Waiworth street. almost directly across
the way, He seized an axe and ran around the
rear: Mrs. Campbell was lying on the ground.
As. sho saw him she rose feebly to her feet and
.".0h, Stewart. is my husband killed."
Il don't know" responded the man: but
you bad better get out Of here. I'll do all that
S Can sGSsptsS his asyIes WAS
street. In the mean time Stewart was en-
deavoring to break into the factory. He beat
against the door with his axe. and called to
bsd ny
sparks were falling all over the yard. About
fifteen feet from the door Of the factory were
live barrels of nRphtha. which had been put
there yesterday morning. Stewart realized
there was every reason to believe that those In
the building were dead. he beat hasty retreat
While this was going on one Of the neighbors
had gone to the moulding mill OF White, Pot
ter Pnige. half q block away, and turned in
an alarm OF fire: The men from Truck were
them VI the mai htha they delayed entering the
yard until the engines arrived and the ground
around the dangerous barrels had been thor
oughly flooded. After thla was done 1t took
the hremen very short time to eItinguish
The walls Of the building were still standing.
and o few well-dlrectsd blows with axes
smashed in the door. Near the door and lying
close together We're three bodies, so dis1sured
that Identification was almost impossible. A
fourth body. afterward recognized as that Of
Knee, was lying fiye feet away, 80
years. cid. and lived at 76l Myrtle avenue with
his wife and six children. He did not work
regularly Tor Mr.: Campbell. but was employed
during busy periods. and this was HIS first
e7yeATs old and lived at U7e De Kalb avenue.
Hs leaves three daughters. Mrs. Thomas. Mrs.
O'Hara and Della. q girl OF IL
tbs estimated that property and glass to the
value Of S. GOO were destroyed by the explo-
sion The damage by the fire will not exceed
could say positively. last night. bur it Is be-
ueved that an explosion OF naDhtha did IL.