The age-herald., 1898-07-13
EIGHT KILLED
 BY EXPLOSION lahin-Rand Powder Works at Pompton, N. J, Wrecked. OCCURRED IN MIXING ROOM The Concession Caused an Explosion in
 Drying Room Near By. MANY MEN BLOWN TO ATOMS Chief Engineer Craig Had His Head
 Crushed 10 a Jelly. TALK OF SPANISH SPY BEING GUILTY [, Theory of Men Connected With Works is That Grain Of Gravel or Sand Got
 Into some Powder and Caus-
 ed the Mischief.
Chief Engineer Craig Had His Head
 Crushed 10 a Jelly.
TALK OF SPANISH SPY BEING GUILTY

New York, July 12.-Two explosions, which killed eight men, wounded about twenty others and wrecked two buildings occurred at the plant of the Lahin-Rand powder works at Pompton, N. J., today. The first explosion was in the house where the gun cotton was being made and the second presumably superinduced by con- cussion, 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 Engineer Craig, who was in the engine room, had his head crushed to a jelly in the wreck of the boiler house, a side of which was blown out. John Felixs head was blown from his body and his clothes were whipped from his body
 The foreman of the drying room was also blown to pieces and number of Itanians who were digging a trench in the rear of the building were killed.
 The most seriously injured was William H. Emmons, private of Company l. Third New Jersey volunteers. He was horribly torn by flying splinters It is not likely that he will recover
 Charles Lukes, of Butler, was also prob- ably fatally injured.
 Explosion at 10 O'Clock
 The first explosion was at about 10 ocl5 ck Before the noise of it died away there was a second, louder and more terrific than the first. The roar was heard for miles and the eoncussion broke windows in all direc- tions. The explosion was followed by a fire, which threatened to spread to the other buildings of the plant in which lots of ex- piosyes are stored. Several companies of volunteers have been stationed at the plant since the war with Spain began. Within ten minutes the soldiers had formed a cordon about the entire works, while the firemen were at work trying to quench the flames. Several minutes after the explosion the anxious relatives of the men working at the mill congregated at the scene. The soldiers tried every means of keeping the crowd back. telling them of the dangers of further explosions. and the impossibility of their passing the line Women, frantic with anxiety, tried to rush through, and the soldiers were compelled tQ fix bayonets to hold the crowd back. As the injured came through the lines of the soldiers the scenes of excitement were redoubled. 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 final 1y quenched. The search for other dead and missing was immediately begun and will be prosecuted diligently.
 NitrO-Glycerine in Danger
 During the fire two tanks, each of which contained ton of nitro-glycerine, were in constant danger of being exploded by fly ing sparks.
 The Iaflln-Rand company has been en- gagged in the manufacture of brown pow der, tro-glycerine, gun cotton and smoke less powder under contract to the govern ment. The loss to the company will be b,,tf f fc caid pctr of bo wrecked buildings will begin at daylight tomorrow and that the plant will be in full running order in tVo weeks After the explosion there was some talk of a Spanish spy being implicated in the plot to destroy the 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 process of handling in the mixing room, and that as it went through the machinery the foreign sub- stance came in contact with a rough sur face and threw out spark which ignited the powder.