The Portland daily press., 1894-01-10
III RAINED BRICKS.
Explosion at the Works Of the
Electrical Zinc Co.
HEAVY FURNACE WALLS BLOWN
IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

Several Men Narrowly Escape Instant
Death-Mr. Parker C. Choate, the Gen
cral Manager, Badly Burned and Mr..
VIM. e Clifford Buried Under Pile of
Bricks-The Money Loss Nearly $1,000.
| shook the Munjoy Hill section of the
city. The explosions occurred at the
works of the Electrical Zinc company.
at Fish Point and were the most de-
structive ever known in this city.
The present extensive works of the
| company are but little known to the
public at large, but the work is carried
on day and night, and the plant is not
only very costly, but has been built with
| special reference to strength. The ex-
| plosion took place in what is known as
the refining furnace ROOM" in reality a
| large building. The furnace itself is
| forty feet long, ten feet high, about
twenty feet wide, and the brick sections
of the wall are sixteen inches thick, or
rather were, for there are few places
! along the entire line that are left IN
| touched. Shattered, broken, with great
seams running through the wall, with
here and there an opening, the sight pre-
sented at midnight was to say the least
strange, and likely to be remem bered
The general manager of the company,
Mr.. Parker G. Choate, is also the inven-
tor of many portions of the complex pro-
cesses.. and machinery, and gives his per-
sonal attention to every detail. Last
night he was in the wrecked building for
the purpose of testing new gas produc-
ing plant they had been putting in, and
which was supposed to be in perfect
| condition to work in the most salts
| factory manner. The gas was to be
burned in order to heat the refining fur
mace. When Mr.. Choate went to the fur
mace room, Mr.. William e. Clifford, the
chemist of the company, was with him.
Mr.. Choate went in ahead, and walked
directly to the light hole, into which he
| inserted his arm, and touched match
to the gas. A fearful explosion followed,
three times repeated, although to him
the sound blended in one. The force of
the explosion was such that not only the
massive top of the wall was thrown out
ward, but entire sections were hurled
against the side of the building. When
from the shock, and freed himself from
the bricks with which he was sur
rounded, he started in to find Mr.. Choate
thinking that the manager might have
been instantly killed. Mr.. Choate, while
very badly burned, the skin and much
of the flesh being removed from the
forearm, refused to go to his house until
assured of the safety of his men, and
that the danger was over. While suffer-
ing fearfully he showed great pluck and
courage, and would not, and did not
leave until assured that the danger was
over.
Mrs. Choate was aroused by the ex-
plosion, and knowing the dangerous
nature of the work, at once got ready to.
look after the wounded, and after Mr..
Choate was taken home, and DR.. Frank
SearIe had been called, the doctor as
he looked at the preparations she had
made said: "You could have dressed
almost any wound yourself, Mrs. Choate."
After his wound was dressed Mr.. Choate
insisted on again returning to the works,
to personally look after the work,
the men very naturally being much
alarmed at the accident.
''What did you think had happened?''
was asked of one of the men, and he re-
piled: 81 don't know. The first thing
I saw was one of the men going out of
that building there" and he pointed to
one close by the one demolished by the
explosion. HE was just flying" he ad-
ded. The fact was that the men were
all half suffocated.
Chow did either of you escape?" was
the question naturally suggested last
night, and Mr.. Choate and Mr.. Clifford
were unable to tell. 1t rained bricks.
stone and iron where they stood. Had
they been few inches either way from
the.exact positions they occupied. they
would have been instantly killed. Tt was
wonderful escape.
1t was impossible last night to cor
rectly estimate the loss, but it was
| thought that it would be between $4,000
and $500O The indirect damage will add
very greatly to the loss, as the works
must be rebuilt SO far as that building is
concerned, and it is possible that it win
be found that other portions of the
works suffered to greater extent than
| at first seemed to be the case.
NTaIIrc On nJodern Titeratura