The San Francisco call., 1898-03-23
DISASTER
 AT POINT
 SAN PEDRO Two Buildings at the Powder w orks
 Destroyed. Chemicals Touched Off by the Machinery
 Overheating. A LabOrer's Failure tc Obey Orders Responsible for the
 Catastrophe. TWO LIVES SACRIFICED. One of the Victims Captain Jenks, Who Was Convicted of Starving
 Horses.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
c c . 6 c oc 6 6 . . 6 . . c . c 6 Q THE DEAD. 0 V CHARLES A. JENKS. = Q CHARLES NELSON. c
 c c
6 c Q Q 6 0 6 6 9 0 6 Q 6 Q 6 (

SAN RAFAEL, March 22.-Two eX- plosions occurred at $50 o'clock this afternoon at the United States Smoke less Powder Works, located near Point San Pedro, about three miles from here, instantly killing Charles A. Jenks and Charles Nelson and completely de- stroying two buildings. The jar was distinctly felt for miles around. Only parts of the bodies of the dead could be found in the ruins by Coroner Eden and his deputies, and these were col lected and brought to the morgue, where they present a ghastly sight.
 The accident was due to the careless ness of Charles Nelson, a laborer who, according to statements of officers and men at the powder works. disobeyed orders by running one of the sitting machines in the absence of the superin- tendent. Erie A. Starke, the superin- tendent, when seen tonight by The Call correspondent, freely discussed the affair
 The explosion" said he, 'was an ac: cident pure and simple. and was caused by the diSobedience of orders on the part of Nelson. We had only recently put in new machines for sitting chemi- calls used in making powder, and l had given strict orders that the machines should be discontinued in the morning and not run at all in my absence. Nelson had evidently got out of work and had started the sitting machine to fill up spare time. He got to running it pretty hard. Rush, the engineer of the company, went into the building and found that the bearings on the ma chine were hot and smoking, and asked Nelson to stop the machine, as it was dangerous. Nelson answered that he had no time and 1t was not necessary to oil the bearings very many times. Rush left the building. and in a few minutes the explosion took place, wrecking the building in which Nelson was at work and causing another building about 100 yards distant to. blow up. In this building Jenks was killed
 Ex-Captain Charles A. Jenks was about 31 years of age, and leaves a widow and young son. He gained considerable notoriety some time ago by being court -martialed for starving horses in San Francisco. He was sec retary to Superintendent Starke and not employed by the powder company.
 Charles Nelson was a Swede, about 45 years of age, and single.
 Not an ounce Of powder exploded in the two buildings. It was the chemi- calls used in the manufacture of the powder that exploded. In the building in which Nelson was there were only 300 pounds of chemicals, and this, be- coming ignited from the hot bearings, sent the building and the sitting ma chine tearing into the other building, causing the two tons of chemicals in that building to explode. Two tons of wet chemicals in this building were not injured Only the one machine, valued at s250, was destroyed No other machinery was damaged. The buildings were made of iron, and after the explosion the woodwork in them caught fire, but the flames were promptly extinguished.
 Jenks had gone into the building to exercise his muscle by lifting heavy weights.
 Charles A. Jenks, one of the victims of the explosion, enlisted as private in Company F, Seventh Infantry, on June 3, 1889. Subsequently he Joined Battery F. Second Artillery. In 1890 he became sergeant of the company, and on June became its captain. He re- signed on October l. 1895. On Novem- Der of the same year he was elected first lieutenant of Troop A Cavalry. and became captain on October II fol- lowing. Recently he was fined $500 for starving horses belonging to the troop, and he was discharged from the Ma ffonaI Cuard for neglect of duty