The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-13
Blown to Atoms BY Terrific Powder
Explosions.
TWENTY OTHERS INJURED
WORKS WE'RE RUNNING ON
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.
Occurred at the Plant of the Latin
Rand Company at Pompton, N. j.
Effect of the Explosions Was
Fearful-Fire Threatened to De-
stroy Tons of High Explosives.

New York, July 1.-TWO explosions
which killed II men, wounded about
20 others, and wrecked two buildings
occurred at the plant of the Latin
Rand powder works at Pompton, n. j.,
today The first explosion was in the
house where guncotton was being
made and the second, presumably. SUI
perinduced by conclusion, was in the
drying house, close by Three men
were in the mixing room when the ex-
plosion occurred, and they were blown
to atoms Chief Engineer Craig, who
was in the engine room, had his head
crushed to a jelly in the wreckage OF
the boiler house, the side of which
was blown down. John Phillips was
standing near a tree some distance
from the mixing house His head was
blown from his body and was picked
up so feet away. His body was fright
fully torn by the force of the eXplo-
sion 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 a trench in
the rear of the building were killed.
The most seriously injured was Will
lam Emmons, a private of company 1,
New Jersey volunteers. He was horri-
bly, torn by flying splinters. 1t is not
likely that he will recover. Charles
Lukes of Butler, was also probably IA
tally injured.
The first explosion was at about 1890
o'clock. Before the noise and roar OF
it had died away, there was second,
louder and more terrific than the first.
The roar was heard for miles and the
conclusion broke windows in all direc-
tons.
The explosion was followed by a fire
which threatened to spread to the other
buildings of the plant, in which tons
of high explosives were stored.
Five companies of the Third New Jer-
sey volunteers have been stationed at
the plant since the war with Spain
began, and they were ordered under
arms and were sent to the scene of the
explosion at double-quick time. Within
ten minutes the soldiers had formed a
column about the entire works, and
soon the firemen were at work trying TO
Quench the flames. Almost immediate
ly after the explosion the anxious rela-
tives of the men working at the mill
congregated near thu scene. The SOL
diers tried every means of keeping the
crowd back, telling them of the danger
of further explosions and the impossi-
bility of their passing the line. Women,
frantic with anxiety, tried to rush
through, and the soldiers were COM
PEELED to fix bayonete to hold the crowd
back.
As the injured came through the lines
of soldiers the scenes of excitement
were redoubled. Every one of the work
ingmen who came out was immediate
ly surrounded and begged for word of
those who had been left behind, many
of whom are still missing.
The fire was soon under control and
finally quenched. The search for other
dead and missing was Immediately be-
gun and will be prosecuted diligently.
During the fire two tanks, each of
which contained a ton of nitro glycer-
inc. were in constant danger of being
exploded by flying sparks.
The Lafiin-Rand company has been
enga ged in the manufacture of brown
powder, nitro glycerine, guncotton and
Smokeless powder under contract TO the
government. The loss to the company
will be great, but it is said a recon-
struction of the wrecked buildings will
begin at daylight tomorrow and that
the plant will be in full running order
in two weeks.
After the explosion there was some
talk of a Spanish spy being implicated
in the attempt to destroy the powder
mill. but the theory of the men con-
nected with the works is that a grain
of gravel or sand got into some powder
which was in process of handling in
the mixing room and that as it went
through the machinery, the foreign
substance came in contact with a metal
surface and threw out a spark, which
ignited the explosive.
Adjutant Patterson of the Third regi-
ment says the men of the regiments
showed the greatest GOODNESS in the face
of the greatest danger.
About o'clock in the evening, while