The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-13
WERE BLOWN TO ATOMS
Eleven Men Killed in the Latin
Rand Powder w orks.
ROAR HEARD FOR MILES
It Is Thought That . Grain OF Sand
Got Mixed in With Some Powder
and Threw Out a Spark In
the Machinery.

e YIN July IL tApiOSiOASs
which killed IL men. wounded about
20 others and wrecked two buildings,
occurred at the plant of the Latin
Rand powder works at Pompton, N.
j., to-day. The first explosion was in
the house where guncotton was being
made, and the second, presumably sup
erinduced 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. a his head
crushed to a jelly in the wreckage OF
the boiler house, the side of which was
blown out. John Phillips was stand
ing 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 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 a number of
Italians who were digging a trench in
the rear of the building, were killed.
The most seriously injured was William
Emmons. a private of company j. New
Jersey volunteers. He was horribly
torn by flying splinters. 1t is not like
ly that he will recover. Charles Lukes
of Bullock was also probably fatally
injured.
The first explosion was at about 1880
O'Clock. Before the noise and roar OF 1t
died away, there was a second. louder
and more terrific than the first. The
roar was heard for miles, and the con-
cussion broke windows in all dwellings.
Tn 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 3rd New Jersey
~olunteer have beeen 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 entire works, and soon the ffremen
were at work trying to quench the
flames. Almost Immediately after the
explosion the anxious relatives of the
men working at the mill congregated
neal the scene. The soldiers tried every
means of keeping the crowd back, tell
ing them of the danger of further ex-
plosions and the impossibility of their
passing the line. Women, frantic with
anxiety. tried to rush through, and the
soldiers were compelled to fix bayonets
to hold the crowd back. As the injured
came through the lines of soldiers the
scenes of excitement were
Every one of the workingmen who came
out was Immediately 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 9TH
er dead and missing was Immediately
begun, and will be prosecuted diligent-
ly. During the fire two tanks, each OF
which contained a ton of n1tro-glycer-
inc, were in constant danger of being
exploded by flying sparks.
The Latin company has been engaged
in the manufacture of brown powder,
nitro-glycerine, g%uncotton and smoke
less powder under contract to he gov
eminent. The loss to the company Will
be great, but II Is said a reconstruction
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
ed with the works is that a grain or
gravel or sand got into some powder
which was in process of handling In the
mixing room, and that as IL went
through the machinery the foreign sub
stan came in contact with a metal
surface and threw out a spark, which
ignited the explosive.