The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-23
HURLED INTO
ETERNITY BY
AN EXPLOSION
Two Men Killed at the
Judson Works.
THE MIXING HOUSE WRECKED
NO ONE LEFT TO EXPLAIN LOW
1T OCCURRED.
Several Narrow Escapes of Men Who
Had Just Left the House
That Was Ami
Inflated.
THE MIXING HOUSE WRECKED
NO ONE LEFT TO EXPLAIN low
1T OCCURRED
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
OlS Q-,. g3,r-ay- nor -


9]S Broadway, Oct z.
The explosion of d couple Of hundred
pounds of nitro-glycerine this morning at
the Judson Powder Works caused the in
slant death of two employees and the total
demolition Of the mixing house. The vic
tins are Peter Anderson, foreman Of the
mixing department, and Thomas Roach,
foreman of the nitro-g elatine mixing
house.
The cause of the explosion will never
he known, for, as in all similar eXplo-
sions. the evidence Of its origin and the
men who might have known were wiped
out instantly.
a few minutes after o'clock this morn
ing there was a loud explosion at the
JudsOn works, but as the mixing house
was separated from most OF the other
buildings the damage was not widespread,
although the wreck of the house was
complete. Owing TO the strong nature Of
the bul khead between the nitrate house
and the mixing house the former was
saved The bulkhead also saved the life
OF Richard T. Board. who was only few
feet from the scene OF the explosion.
Thomas Roach, tho foreman Of the
wrecked house, went 10 work as usual
al o clock and at once started TO mix
some material Peter Anderson walked
over 10 see Roach and helped him unload
a portion Of a vat Of guncOJton. After
the mixing had taken place the explosion
occurred. superintendent Kennedy can
not advance any reason for the accident,
but supposes that some foreign substance
got in the Vat and decomposition ensUed.
A search of the debris and grounds
failed TO produce d portion OF either OF
the victims larger than q mans hand.
over 500 feet away a portion OF Ander
son 5 head was found. The bulkhead
saved the life Of Board and also prevented
the destruction Of the adjoining houses.
Superintendent Kennedy is a lucky man,
4 n n n pynf h2 va
been killed
1t is Impossible to give any reason for
the explosion ne said, for Roach was
very careful man and understood his
business. He was credited with exercis-
ing great caution in the mixing of the
nitro-gelatlne, which is very dangerous
stun 10 handle. As well that, Ander-
son, who Is foreman OF the mixing de-
partment was with him and it could
not have been due 10 any lack of caution
that the explosion occurred. Il is one
o. those InexpltCable things which hap
pen when least expected.
AS 20 my own narrow escape I don't
care 10 say anything. II admit it was
the closest shave OF my life, however.
Usually l go down 70 the mixing house
when II Is running, before changing my
clothes, but this morning l delayed about
two minutes 10 make the change. Why
I did il do not now know l then start
ed Immediately Tor the mixing house, and
had / been one minute sooner would have
lows.
The copper tank contained about 200
pounds OF n-trO-gelatine This is com
posed OF guncotton, nitTo-glycerine, inter
and some other ingredients. How II
could have exploded / have not the re-
Our loss will be about $500. but that is
nothing 10 comparison 10 the loss Of two
lives. Both men were faithful and trust
Ric5ard Board. who was separated
from the scene q death by a few boards. !
had q remarka bic experience. Il was
W1!kios II the nltTating room he said,
which adjoins the mixing house. The
Two are separated by q heavy bulkhead. |
I knew Tom Roach was at work on the
mixing tank, but did not know who else
vas In there. However, l heard some
talking. a little after o'clock the ex-
p sion occurred, but It came so suddenly
that 1 hardly heard anything. In fact I
cid not have time TO think before l was
~ the air with lumber and dirt flying all
about me. struck the ground about six
y feet away and for a time was com
pletely dazed. / do not know how long I
lay on the ground, but as soon as I real
through the debris and ran. Then | stop
ped for knew nothing more was to ex-
Where the mixing house stood but a
minute before was "a great hole and not
. sign was visible Of Roach. The, poor
fellow, with Anderson, had been blown
II cannot describe the sensation as it
occurred to me, for it was most peculiar
First I seemed to be falling into q deep
abyss. then the walls seemed to all cave
in and l was drawn right up into space
hardly tell of IT."
Peter Anderson, who was killed. has
been employed by the company since they
located their plant at Fleming Point,
eight years ago. He is brQ0ther-in-law
widow and q, baby, whose FIRST birthday
was to have been celebrated this evening
In the West Berkeley home. now father
less.
Thomas Roach. the other victim. was
unmarried He had been employed in sew
eral powder works, and was known as a
reliable workman.
Frank Costa and Tom Brombaker had
only left the mixing house q couple Of
minutes when ii went up. we were but
a short distance away" said Costa when
we heard the explosion. We had to go TO
another department, or l guess we would
as I heard the report I saw the whole
building In the air. We DODGE. the flying
missiles, and as soon as we returned I
saw the most complete wreck I have ever
seen in many years experience in pow
der mills"
GREAT REGISTER CLOSES.