The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-25
BIG ACETYLENE BLOw-UP.
TWO MEN KILLED, WORKS WRECKED,
MANY HOUSES DAMAGED.


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TWO MEN KILLED, WORKS WRECKED,
MANY HOUSES DAMAGED.
me Rains Take Fire ana the water Thrown
On Theu MAKES Then Barn Oniy the More
RterceIy-surroundinG DuiidinEs Damaged
ana MANY Persons ritt By Ftyipg
The works Of the United STATES Liqueaed Acct
ylono Distributing Company, on Montgomery
street, between Fremont and Factory streets,
Jersey City, were wrecked yesterday morning
by Q series Of explosions. caused by acotyleno
gas, and were destroyed by tho dre which fol-
lowed. Two men were killed and n number
OF other persons were injured. Those killed
were Max Grimm of $50 Malone street,
West Hoboken, superintendent Of tho
works, and Theodore Faller. 40 years old,
of 54A Montgomery street, Jersey City.
engineer of the works. Faller appears TO have
been known in the works and to his employers
e. Charles White. II. G. Durar, Secretary Of
the company, said that 1--WE mon were employed
at the works, mono of whom was named Faller.
Other persons, however. are said to have seen
White after the explosions, and these persons
say that Faller was employed as an assistant
engineer at the works.
Those injured were James Mead. aged rs, Of
Bkk Montgomery street, who was cut on the
face and hands by flying glass, and Adam Hig-
bee, aged 81. OF 131 Fremont street, suffering
from shock. A number Of other persons who
were in the neishborhood at the time were
slightly injured by flying glass and splinters.
Many persons had narrow escapes. for the air
was filled with wreckage, and buildings for
n long distance away on every side OF tho fac
tory were either pierced with fragments from
the wreck or wero swayed to their foundations
by tho force Of the explosions. Great numbers
Of windows wero broken by the concussion.
The homes Of moro than fifty families were 30
wrecked as to mako them either unsafe or TN
snhabitable. The FIRE which consumed tho ruins
Of the acetylene works was communicated 70
b 200-foot trestle OF the Junction Railroad and
partly destroyed 1t. Telephone and telegraph
wires were blown clean off the poles, the trolley
wires Of tho Montgomery street car limo wero
torn down.. and ono carload of passengers es.
capped destruction by q hairs breadth.
Tho United States Liqueied Acetylene Dis
tributing Company is q comparatively now con-
Germ. which has been formed to supply liquened
acetylene gas to a number Of companies in
various parts Of the country which are endeavor-
ing to introduce tho gas for lighting purposes.
These companies are organized to work under
the Wilson calcium carbide patents and other
patents which were taken out by DR.. Julius ].
Huckert for the liauefying OF the gas. The office
Of the company is in the Postal Telegraph build.
ing at 253 Broadway. this city. and 1t is In the
Same rooms with that of DR.. Suckert and the
National Ice Machine Company. ]. J. Toogood
IL its President and H. @. Durar Is Secretary and
Treasurer.
Tho works which were wrecked yesterday
belonged to e~x-Assemblyman Henry Byrne Of
Jersey City,. They were leased about two and
a half years ago by the National leo Machine
Company, and bore that company's sign until
recently. During most Of the time since the
place was leased by the National Ice Machine
Company it has been known that the works
were being used to carry on experiments
with acetylene gas and its liquefaction.
and at least one accident has hap
pened there before, duo to tho dangerous
character of tho gas. Upon that occasion
Max Grimm. who was killed yesterday. was
badly burned about the hands and face. This
accident took place last January. According to
Secretary Durar q number of IRE insurance
men were present on that occasion, and an at
tempt was being made, through experiments.
to convince them that acetylene might DO used
for Illuminating purposes without ne essitating
the cancellation Of insurance policies upon the
property where it was used.
Superintendent Grimm said Mr.. Durar
yesterday. was making some acetylene snow.
He 4 was holding a bag over the mouth OF one OF
sss G ss: So sb1 shst f Ss i f4o, snps sna s.s sS%e 2.
we know OF. the gas took fire. Perhaps some Of
tho insurance men were smoking, but we do not
piosiSve i comp snH fS With hU air." "AA'' very OK
that could be learned. just as mysterious in its
origin. Tho works consisted of two buildings.
l Thu n sna s eq ]slinsr Was i form! s'o Il I'd Ri / Fa;,S e
side the Se J%anetiten Raiilr sssds cuts o across a%e through f&essrh
the block from Mercer to Montgomery street at
main building on that side tapsred of
story building. part of which is stiIl standing,
Ing In w Was se Tsrs tes from Gss st the ot6sr by f a spS SSs' Of
about forty feet from considerations OF safety.
On the sI ground md. floor > b of the main main building on I'll the .
close partition from all the other parts of that
floor. Next to this was a big room where the
gas was compressed and stored In steel cylin-
ders for transportation and use: At the cast
side of the building and opening into Montgom-
The second floor contained rooms used for
drauRhting and such purposes.
bide With water. The wafer and the calcium
carbide arc decomposed. the acetylene goes of
cai 1 6 EnS' carbide snd Hu IS pr radS d By 5si fus 81 2 Ii Snt%ea
and coal or coke together in an electric furnace.
In appearance II Is an exceedingly hard; black
dry. for even the moisture in the air will decom-
pose 1t and cause 1t to send of the gas. and in a
plosive compound of great force.
In the factory the calcium carbide was taken
TO the generator house. where, in proper re-
ceptacles, It was decomposed by the introduction
Of water. Through pipes It was then transmit
pressors. like those used for COMPRISING air, re.
duced It's volume Until y was undere high pres
was cooled by refrigerated brine passing
about the pipes which held 1t. Whatever
water 1t held IN suspension was extracted by
then 1t was led to the part of the room where II
was to be turned into. liquid and sealed up In
the steel tubes. In this last process the steel
tubes were immersed In a refrigerated bath
kept SO cold that when the gas entered the
tubes the low temperature and pressure upon
the gas combined turned into n liquid form.
This was the work that was going on at the
time of the disaster. at about $3.50 A. M. yester-
day. There were five men employed in the fac
tory. Superintendent Grimm was at this time
on the second floor. Lewis Dubois. the foreman
OF the Jersey City Chair Works. across the
street, was talking with him. Engineer White
was In the compressor room filling tubes, and
Fritz Etzold was assisting him: Out In the gen
Grating house were Fred Burr and A. G.