Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-23

by the explosion OF no aGetyene gas
generator in the basement of the
Federal Building fow minutes before
3 o'clock Thursiay afternoon John j.
Cooper, elevator conductor of tho build
Ing, sustained injuries which resulted
In his death at the Delaware llosnital
an hour anil half later. Mr.. Cooper
was between 81 and % years of age anil
was TO have boon married to-day to NJ iss
Eva Carey of Cheswold, his native
place.
The exact cause of tho explosion ia
matter OF conjecture. From tho place
In which Cooper's unconscious bndy
was found and other circumstances tho
publications. are that he was charging
the generator at the time. This waa
no part OF his duties. hut he was doing
1t ip the absence of W. q. McIntire,
enginoet at tho huiling II IL not
altogether clear that Engineer Mclntiro
himself was directly responsible for the
care OF the gas plant, beca uso ii was
thr property OF the contractor for the
gas supply. Rather be seems to have
looked after it rs an accom- modatlon,
and MIR. Copper did likewise. Follow.
ing the explosion OF the generator one
of tue two gasometers also eSploded.
The two reports and the alarm at fire
which was sent in from box No 123,
on Eighth street between Orange aud
Tatnsll streuts, caused much oxGita-
ment in the community, and when
rumors few around that several men
were IN tho basement at the time of the
oxplosion interest grew to fever heat.
Great volumes If thick black smoke
rolled from the basement windows and
gave the impression that confagratiOn
was In prugreHs, but there was prHu-
tically no damage to the building, the
ceiling and walls being of non. com.
liustibls material. The smoke was due
to the burning gas.
For some time it has been intended
to remove the gas plant from the
Federal Building to a frame atructure
to be erected on the grass plot, because
of the unpleasant odor arising from the
plant, and the accident will probably
facilitate this movement.
Shortly after a o'clock Conductor
Cooper, was sitting outside the door
OF the elevator, when Engineer Nj Intirs
approached him and told him that be
was going down the street The an
gineer Furthermore asked Mr.. Cooper
10 keep an eye on thu gas plant, and
left the building. Someiime afterwards
tho news of the explosion reached Nc
Jntire and he returned to the building
70 fiud that Cooper had heen injured.
How long Cooper may have been in
the basement before the accident is not
known. The gas plant lies towards
the Ninth and Orange streets corner of
the building and is below the western
portion OF the postofiice lobby. 1t com.
priBes generator and two gasoneters,
nj nj ohaat iron rhn SC
cylindrical 10 form and several feet in
diameter, and stands about seven feot
high. The gasometers or gas tanks
operate on principle similar to that of
ths large tanks OF tho Wilmington Coal
Gas Co., tho top OF the tank rising
with the inflow of gas and falling as
the gas III consumed.
The gas is known as calci- carbide
md its manufacture 10 the United
Statos is controlled by the Electro Gas
10. OF New York. This territory is
under the control Of Major Il. S. Turner
OF Washington, who has been 10 this
city frequently experimenting the
workings of the Federal Building plant.
The method of generating the gas ia
simply explained. The generator con
tains quantity of water, above which
is hopper secured by lid ann a
clamp. Between the hopper and the
water is valve. When 1t is desired to
charge the generator, the valve is
closed, and the lid of the hopper re-
moved. Then quantity Of carbide. a
crystalized substance resembling coke
in appearance, is placed in the hopper.
After the hopper has been closed the
valve is opened, allowing the carbide
to drop down into basket where the
water com1s into contact with it. The
hydrogen OF the water and the carbon
of the carbide combine to form tbs
acetylene gas, which flows into the
reservoirs, OF gasometers. The latter
iare so arranged that whun ons fills the
gas begins to enter the other aud when
both are full an automatic attachment
prevents the making of more gas.
In order to reach the hopper of the
generator conveniently three steps have
heen erected against the cylinder. 1t
Ia supposed that Cooper was standing
M these steps when the explosion oc.
nurred. At any rate the clamp of the
hopperalid was found on the top step
and the lid itself was found nearby.
The edge Of the iron lid, as afterwards
found, was bloody as result of having
struck Cooper in the head. He was
probably first blown against pillar of
the building and then thrown eight or
ten feet from the generator.
The first explosion occurred few
minutes before 8 O'Clock. 1t caused
great excitement in the postotiice and
court chambers of the building. The
Rtructure trembled at the shock. Per.
sons in the immediate vicinity heard
the sound of the explosion and were at
itrRcted to the scene by dense smoke
which began to roll from the building.
John A. Mitchell, superintendent OF
letter carriers, was at his desk at the
time and Immediately after the ex-
'plosion he and Substitute Letter carrier
Edward Goslin went 10 the basement
to see il they could do anything to
lprevent further trouble. Thoy went
towards the gas plant, hut did not see
any person about il and retreated from
the smoke, not knowing that Cooper
was there.
At the time OF tho explosion Letter.
carrier George W. Sasse. an ok. assistant
Iengineer in the fire department, ran to
the cellar ami saw the burning gas. lie
tried to fight the flames with the hose
in the superintendent's Office, hut it
was not long enough. When he got
lantern from the Friendship hose
wagon, which was standing at Ninth
and Orange streets, and learning that
man had been seen lying on the floor
of the basement, he hravely worked bis
way through the dense smoke. While
hs was thus engaged, second ex-
plosion occurred, this time one of the
gasometers going up. Fortunately
6Rsse escaped injury. The second ex-