Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-14
Two Explosions in the LAT
lin-Rand Powder Works
in Pompton N. J.
BODIES BLOWN into ATOMS
Believed That Piece OF Gravel Ignited
While Being Crushed and Caused the
Keep the Flames From Reach.
ing Tors of Powder.

| New York, July 1.-Two explosions,
which killed 10 men, wounded about 20
| others, and wrecked two buildings, o.
CURED at the plant of the Lafln-Rand
! Powder Works at Pompton, y. j., this
morning. The first explosion was in the
/ house where gun cotton was being made,
and the second, presumably supcrnduced
! by CuncussiOn, was in the drying house
| close by. Three men were In the mixing
room when the explosion occurred, and
/ they were blown to atoms. Chief Engi-
neer Craig, who was In the engine room,
/ had his head crushed to Il jelly in the
wreckage of the boiler house. the side of
which was blown out. John Phillips was
standing near II tree some distance from
the house. His head was blown from his
body and was picked up so feet away.
His body was frightfully torn by the force
of the explosion, and his clothes were
whipped from his body.
The foreman of the drying room was
also blown to pieces. and number OF
Italians who were digging in IA trench
In the rear of the building were also
killed.
| The list of dead follows
John Craig, 81 years old, chief engineer
of the works, of Wynokc.
William Brennan, % years old, cart
driver of Butler.
! James Philips, As years old married
with family, of Pompton Lake
| Daniel Freeman, 30 years old, boss OF
the drying room.
William Fisher, 90 years old. inside
worker
William Fisher, ir.
Johu Bonutta laborcr. of Butler.
Casper cCzznc. 80 years old Italian la
borer, Of Pompton Lake.
; - Marine. fragment of body found
In a pocket of the clothing on 1t was
found due slip for work done for the com
pany
Jose Casenna. Italian laborcr, killed II
the ditch.
A canvass of Pompton Plains shows thai
q. j. Garrigan, an cmploye of the com
pany, is missing.
some of the injured will probably die
The most seriously injured is w. II, En-
mons. a private of Company NJ. Sd New
Jersey volunteers. lie was horribly totrI
by flying splinters
Charles Lukcs of Butler, was also prob
ably fatally injured, being cut and tori
in many places.
Tho first explosion was at about nal
past ten O'Clock Before the noise an,
roar of ii died away there was SECOND
louder and more terrific than the first
The detonations were separated by per
haps second in time.
The explosion was followed by hr,
which threatened to spread To the othcl
buildings OF the plant in which tons o.
the highest explosives were stored
Five companies of the Sd New Jcrse,
volunteers have been stationed at th'
plant since the war with Spain began, ant
they were ordered under arms and wen
TO the scene Of the explosion at douhl,
quick time. Within ten minutes the sol
dicrs had formed a Gordon about tn
wrecked buildings and the entire work.
and shortly the iircmcn We're at work try
ing to qucnch the flames. The fire wa
soon gotten under control.
The search for the dead and missin;
was Immediately commenced and will b.
prosecuted diligently. During the fir
two tanks. each of which contained tol
of nitro-glyccrine. were in constant dan
ger of being exploded by dying sparks.
The Latlin- Rand company has been On
gagged i'm the manufacture of brown pow
der, nitro-glycerinc gun cotton an,
>mokcless powder under contract to tn
government. Tho loss to the Compan,
will he great, but II is said that recon
struction of the wrecked buildings viii he
gin at daylight tomorrow and that tn
plant will be in fun running order in tw,
weeks.
After the explosion there was some tall
of Spanish spy being implicated in tn
attempt to destroy the powder mill, bu
tho theory Of the men connected with tn
works is that "A grain of gravel or SANE
got into some powder which was in pro
cess Of handling in the mixing room ant
that as il went through the machincr!
the foreign substance came in contac
with a metal surface and threw out
spark which ignitcd the explosive.