The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-22
EXPLOSION KILLS SEVEN.
ACCIDENT IN THE LOADING Roow
OF THE WINCHESTER ARMS co.

The Safeguards on ons OF the Machine. D,dn,t
DO Their work-No such Accident Ever
Known B~erore-Throa OF Those KILLED were
Women-What the Machines Are Like.
New HAVEN. Conn, July 21.-some black
powder exploded just before 10 o'clock this
morning in the loading room Of the winches.
ter Repeating Arms Company, and the explo-
sion caused the death Of seven employees, four
OF whom were women. A machine used for
loading paper shot shells went of, and besides
killing six Of the employees outright, the force
injured several, tore out q side Of the building.
and lifted the roo. It was the worst explosion
that ever occurred at the Winchester factory.
Accidents In the loading room have boon very
rare there. There IL an extensive use of explo-
sives in this room. but the handling Of them
has been so safesuarded that 1t was generally
supposed serious accidents would not occur.
The dead are: julius Borman. II years old,
who carried powder; Miss Josephine Brennan.
IL. operator OF the loa6ing machine; Mrs. Mel
lie Baumeister. 20, operator Of an adjacent ma
cnine; Mrs. Ida Brown, so. operator; Walter
Hill, IL, powder boy; Miss Theresa Connolly,
Is, operator; Edward Bardoff. 90, laborer.
Miss Brennan's head was blown completely
Of by the explosion. Mrs. Baumcister's body
was hurled through the side OF the wooden
building, and her head was crushed. She had
been married only one month, and her husband
worked in the loading room within ten feet of
her. He escaped unscathed. She was former
ly Miss Nellie MARROW Of Brooklyn, y. Y.
George Bardofr and Edward Bardof. brothers,
worked In the same room, and both were hurt.
Edwards back was torn by the explosion, and
he died two hours after being injured. George
will lose an eye. His shoulder was also bro
ken. but he will hive. There were half q dozen
others injured by the explosion, but, except
George Bardon, none seriously. Their faces
were filled with powder and they sustained
bruises and lacerations, which were not severe.
The Winchester works shut down after the
explosion. and hundreds Of employees surged
around the entrance to the loading room to
inquire for friends or relatives. The police
were powerless against the crowd. Upward
OF 500 women work in the srnory, and these
were frantic. Argument, entreaty, and threat
were without avail. Tho gates had been closed
aEainstethe throng. but the pressure was about
to break them down when the fremen turned
As the ambeiances drove into the street With
the dead or injured. the women crowded UP
AGAINST each wagon to see II there was a famif-
Some Of the escapes were miraculous. Miss
Mamie Clarke worked at u machine next to the
cured Miss Clarke was lifted Bodily from the
machine at which, she sat and hurled over an
Her sides were bruised and one OF her hands
was hurt. but these were her only injuries. She
was pEOSJruteu, QOweNer, Dy the SlEDt OF tnC
bodies of the shopmates with whom she had
been conversing only a few minutes before.
The medical mi has given q decision
sions of the loading machines have happened
before. but there has been no serious results.
against danger. 1t holds a reservoir Of powder,
and the arrangement is to have the force OF an
the machine. The sides Of Ot the " machine are
constructed strongly so as to resist an eNplo-
sion In the reservoir and thus send the violence
up through the dome, The arrange ant has
worked successfully in the past. Tine eXplo
make It dificult for the winchester Company
TO secure help for the loading room. The wages
R slSe the Sssa snplo 81 sse in p. 5aIs dsp ebs1nsts, are af not not
work, as are the wages in some of the other de-
part%e anss where where accidents Tsa sv have been more fire;
IN the past has given mpnihcently to persons
hurt in its employ or relatives of persons who
It's custom in the case Of the accident to-day.
Mr.. T. 6. Bennett. President Of the Winches-
ter Repeating Arms Company. has made a state
1T is impossible to say at this time what
the exact. cause may never be known. The
funnel which contained the powder was exactly
l ass shAt With Hn the .a first po %ashine g, n Sels shieh si Hss
the hrt machine was made several have ex,
PIfS! att SasaoS hsrm hhF%iH 1se n mseS Shs; aR %s ss SS1.
help who bring in the powder bring It in in
small cans carrying one pound each. The tell
powder is nearly, exhausted. When the help
see. that the powder is exhausted they signal
for more powder Another can Is then brought
and put into the machine. At night all Of the
powder is taken out of the machine. Last night
lam informed by the man in charge of the
room. all the powder was taken away from this
machine. l believe. however. that there was
more than the required amount of powder In
the machine.
I'VE have been running automatic loading ma
chimes for something more than twenty years
and this is the first time that any one has beer
injured in their use. Since the adoption Of these
machines we have had no accident in the use o.
black gunpowder."