The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-24
A SQUARE MILE OF RUIN

A terrible explosion shook Jersey City
thro8snout its length and breadth at $3.50
o'clock this morning. 1t was followed at
intervals of about two minutes and a half
eacn by nine similar reports. The ex-
plJsioss occurred in the building of the
United States Acetyline Liquifying Com
pany, on Montgomery street, about fifty
feet above Fremont street. They COM
pletely demolished the building, killed or
mortally wounded two men and badly
wounded several others, also wrecked a
number of buildings in the vicinity and
rendered the plant of the Jersey City
Electric Light Company useless, cutting
off all light and power from that source
in all parts of the city for some time.
The injured are
Max Grimm Of Union Hill, leg blown off
ana abdomen gashed by a piece of iron,
also gashed about head and body. Taken
to City Hospital in dying condition.
l.. Foller, engineer of the building who
was blown out of the building, and who
was gashed by bits of iron and timber.
In the City Hospital in a dying condition.
Joseph Mead, who was at work in an
unfinished building on Wayne street, two
blocks away; cut by bits of glass and
timber. In City Hospital.
Fritz Etzol, one of the men employed in
the building, is the only person missing.
He has not yet been accounted for.
The explosion was one of the most terri
BILE that has ever shaken Jersey City. 1t
was felt in all parts of the city. On lower
Newark avenue and Montgomery street
horses were frightened by the shock and
the electric lights in the city were ex-
tinguished. Pale faced persons rushed
about asking each other what could have
happened. Superstitious folk thought the
world had come to an end Chief Murphy
received word at headquarters almost be-
fore the noise of the first explosion had
died away. He was in consultation with
the precinct captains at the time.
He sent them with all the reserves in
the city to the scene at once.
The fire department turned out in
full force. and several engines and hook
and ladder company No. were on the
scene before the third explosion occurred
They were in charge of Chief Conway
The streets were filled with terror strick-
en- people who were rushing in all direc-
tions, too frightened to know what they
were doing. Every pane of glass within
half mile of the explosion was broken,
and the buildings presented a wrecked
appearance. The firemen went as near to
the building as they could. They were
near Fremont street when they were
driven back by an explosion more terrific
than those which had preceded it, and
which sent bits of timber and iron flying
a distance of over 500 feet from the
building.
The firemen were forced back and were
obliged to wait as calmly as they could
for the explosions to end. They employed
their time in trying to quiet the fears of
the women and children who rushed from
the neighboring tenements and crowded
the streets. Chief Conway was not among
them. and the rumor that he had been
killed by flying bit of iron gained cur.
rency. He turned up later. and it was
found that he had been working among
the tenements on Fremont street The re-
port was that many persons had been
killed
When the last explosion occurred and
Abraham Hopper, one of the men en-
ployed in the building, told the firemen
that there was no more tanks to go up,
the firemen rushed to the scene. Some of
them worked from the Montgomery street
side, while others went to the rear ON
Mercer street In the street, just beneath
the trestle of the Junction Railroad and
within a few feet of the viaduct lay the
mangled form of a man. His left leg was
torn nearly from his trunk and his intes-
lines were protruding from a terrible
cash in his stomach.
He was not quite dead, however, and
was removed in the city ambulance to the
City Hospital. The mangled form of an
other man was also found. The first man
was afterwards identified as Max Grimm,
while the second was L. Foller, who was
employed in the building as engineer.
Foller is not expected to live. He is in
the City Hospital. His wife hovers about
the building and cannot be consoled
There were only six men employed in
the building. They were:- abraham Hop
per Of Ridgewood, Max Grimm of Union
Hill. Fred Burr OF New York. Frisz Etzol
Of Jersey City Heights, Charles White Of