The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-13
MANY KILLED
BY EXPLOSION.
Latin & Rand Powder Mills Explode
With Dreadful Effect.
ELEVEN DEAD-TWENTY HURT.
This IL the Second Explosion Which
Has Occurred at These Works, and
IL is Thought May Have Been
Caused by Spanish Spies.

NEW YORK, July 1.-TWO explosions
which killed eleven men, wounded about
twenty others and wrecked two buildings,
occurred at the plant Of the Lafiin-Rand
Powder Works, at Pompton, n. j., this
morning.
The first explosion was in the house
where gun cotton was being made and
the second, presumably superinduced by
concussion 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 a jelly in the
wreckage of the boiler house. the side Of
which was blown out. John Phillips was
standing near a tree some distance from
the mixing house. His head was blown
from his body and was picked up eighty
feet away The foreman Of the drying
room was blown to pieces and number
OF Italians who were digging a trench IN
the rear of the building were killed.
THE KILLED.
Those killed were: John Craig, thirty
five years old, chief engineer Of the
works; William Brenna, thrty-five years
old. cart driver; James Phillips, forty
five years old. married, and leaves a fam
fly: Daniel Freeman, thirty years Old.
boss of the drying room: William Fisher,
an inside worker; William Fisher, j.,
helper. John Bonatta, labOrer, of Butler;
Casper Cozzino, fifty years Old, Italian
laborer, married; Guido Marine, frag-
ment Of body found. In pocket OF the
clothing on II was found a due slip
for work done Tor the company; Jose
Casenne. Italian laborer. killed irSSShe
ditch.
4 SOLDIER HURT.
The most seriously injured was William
II. EmmOns. a private Of Company l.
Third New Jersey Volunteers. 1T is not
likely that he will recover. Charles
Lukes. of Butler, was also probably ia
tally injured.
The explosions were followed by fire
which Threatened to spread to the other
buildings Of the plant in which tons Of
the hgest 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
went to the scene OF the explosion at
double quick time.
Within ten minutes the soldiers had
formed a Gordon about the works. The
fire was soon quenched and the search
for other dead and missing was immsli-
ately begun
GOVERNMENT CONTRACT.
The Lafin- Rand Company has been en-
gagged in the manufacture Of Brown pow
der nitro-glycerine, gun-cotton and
smokeless powder under contract 10 the
government.
The loss TO the company will be great,
but it IS said that a reconstruction Of the
wrecked buildings will begin at daylight
tomorrow and that the plant will he in
full running order In two weeks.
MAY HAVE BEEN A SPY.
After the explosion there was some talk
Of spanish spy being implicated IN the
attempt TO destroy the powder mill. but
the theory OF the men connected with the
works is that a grain Of gravel or sand
got into some powder which was IN pro-
cess of handling I'm the mixing room and
that as it went through the machinery
the foreign substance came in contact
with a metal surface and threw out q
spark which ignited the explosive.
4 canvass Of POmpton Plains shows
that G.. T. Garrigan, an employee OF the
company. is missing.
ANOTHER BODY FOUND.
About ; o'clock In the evening while
the night guards were being posted they
came across a body or rather a portion
Of one. This made eleven killed. This
man appears TO have been working on the
side of the mountain. a thousand YARDS
from the works. His head vas blown on
Who he was no one seems 10 know.
Working i'm the gun cotton, when the
explosion occurred. was a man namei
Fisher. The body found on the noun
tain side may be his. as his remains nave
not been found. A boy son OF FISHER
is also missing. He was working with MS
father and he may have been blown 10