The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-07-31
THE o0noNER,s BANDING
Concerning the Recent Explosion at Vii
 chester Armory.

Coroner Mix yesterday made public his official report regarding the explo- sion at Winchester's factory on July 2l, which resulted In the death or seven persons and the wounding of several others. He finds that the explosion was caused by an inverted shell, which ex- ploded because 1t was upside down and ignlted a quantity of powder that had been allowed to gather in a pocket or funnel near the machine.
 He places the responsibility of the ex- piosion upon the person or persons un- known who allowed this accumulation of powder. In his report the coroner makes recommendations for the adop- ton of measures that will prevent the accumulation of powder in the future within said pocket
 His opinion in full is as follows: Julius Bormans was a young man eighteen years of age, and resided with his parents at S3 George street. New Haven. He was employed by the Win chester Repeating Arms company of New Haven, in the loading room of their manufactory. On the Fist day of July, 1897, about 9:3O o'clock a. m, while at work at an automatic stot shell load ing machine, made by said company, ana commonly known as machine No. l9, an explosion occurred, wrecking the machine, bursting the powder funnel and cylinder of the same, and causing the instant death of said Julius Bor- mans, also six other persons, who were at work upon or about the said nla- chine.
 After somewhat extended and careful investigation as to the cause of the explosion, make the following finding:
 Automatic shot shell loading ma- chine No. 19 was at the time of the ex ploslon loading the Winchester New Rival paper shot shell, 12 guage, loaded With black gun powder known as F. F. G. American dead shot, and had at tached to 1t a cylinder made of boiler metal, which had been tested with 12 pounds Of powder. In this cylinder was tunnel, known as the powder funnel Tn Which this powder was placed dur ing the operating of the said machine Previous to the explosion there was placed from time to time, within the Iunnel, this powder as required, 1t be- ing understood by the operator of said machine that at no time should be placed therein more than the contents of one can, containing from 21a to 8 pounds of powder. This powder, by the operation of the machine, was fed from the powder funnel to the shells which were being loaded by the said machine. In running the machine, three women were employed in feeding it with shells and wads, and Bormans was employed, not only in supplying the funnel with powder, but the taking away the loaded shells an opening was arranged, prop | erly guarded in the cylinder, through l which the powder was passed into the l funnel, and below it the powder fun | nel was situated This powder funnel. constructed within the cylinder, was made of zinc, and attached thereto and ] leading to the bottom of the cylinder was copper pipe about twelve inches in length, and of the diameter of one inch. Between this powder funnel and the bottom of the cylinder, which bot tom was cone-shaped and consisted of heavy casting, there was quite little space or pocket, and an opening prop | erly guarded, and known as the man hole, was arranged leading into this pocket towards the bottom of the cyln- der. There was also plug at the bot tom of the cylinder which could be re- moved in order to take, from the pocket any surplus powder which might there | accumulate. When the powder was be- | ing placed as required within the fun | mel, some of it would fall between the | powder funnel and the outside cylinder and down into the pocket beneath the powder funnel, and at times quite a quantity of powder would thus accumu- | late within the pocket. The shape of | the bottom of the cylinder (being that of an inverted cone) and the powder ' funnel above, would confine the powder accumulated therein in compara lively small space.
 Strict instructions were given by said company to it's employees to re- move from this pocket, at least twice a day and oftener, should circumstances demand it, all powder which would thus accumulate. At the time of the explosion I am of the opinion quite a considerable quantity of powder was in the pocket of the cylinder, and while one of the operators was placing an empty shell (attached to which was a. primer) in the machine in order to re- ceive the powder from the powder fun mel, she reversed the proper position of the shell, placing the primer upper most, and the primer becoming ignited by contact with the machine, 1t fired back igniting the powder in the pow der funnel, which exploded, thus ignit- ing also the powder which had accumu lated in the pocket of the cylinder. The force of this explosion burst the cylin- del and caused the death of said Bor- mans, together with the others who were killed.
 T am of the opinion that this DOW der which had thus accumulated with in the pocket of the cylinder ought not to have been allowed to have so accu- mulated
 T believe my opinion is a correct one as to the accumulation of powder with in the pocket of the cylinder of said machine, and that the person or per sons who caused, or allowed, this &C., emulation, in direct violation of the rules and instructions of said company given to it's employees is resnonsib1e for,