The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-07-11
Fatal Disaster at De Force
Oil Factory Yesterday.
ATLEASTTwO MEN KILLED
Portion Of the Factory q Total
Wreek-csuse Of the Explosion
UakHowa Engineer Moore
Makes 8 Statement.

oil works Of J. II. DE Force on the
river near Warrenton exploded about
$3.50 yesterday afternoon, and as re-
suit ]. G. Shaw. an employee. was kill
cd. Engineer Maurice W. Moore was
severely injured and Chris Rentz, who
also was connected with the factory. Is
missing. Rentz had been collecting
FISH heads and offal Cor the factory
and was shoveling a load into the
receiver at the factory at the time Of
the explosion. The boat was found in
It's old position after the catastrophe.
but Rentz could not be found. II is
believed that he was thrown overheard
by the conclusion and was drowned.
That portion Of the factory In which
the boiler was located was totally de-
molished. the machinery being almost
completely wrecked and part Of It
thrown into the river below.
shaw. Moore and Rentz were the on
ly white persons about the premises.
Several Chinese were at work on the
upper floor but none OF them were in
iured.
There is not the slightest knowledge
as to the cause OF the explosion.
AZ soon as news OF the accident
reached this city Coroner Pohl and
City Physician Henderson left on the
launch Ell for the factory. When they
arrived there they found most hor-
rifylng condition OF affairs. 1t was
found that shaw's head had been
crushed between the wharf and the
pll.ng. the back part OF the skull be-
ing completely torn away permitting
the lEains TO iall out into the river.
Engineer Moore had been placed upon
a mattress and was found suffering the
tortures OF intense pain. The engineer
was brought to Astoria and placed In
ST. Mary's hospital. where DR.. Hem
dcrson dressed his wounds DR.. Hem
derson stated last night that he had
found Moore's right arm badly crushed
between the shoulder and elbow. The
doctor was not certain that internal
injuries had been sustained. -Four ribs
were found to have been broken and
II this proves to be the extent Of
Moore's bodily injury. he will easily
recover.
Moore has no ,amily and has been
in the employ of Mr.. De Force but a
few weeks. He was formerly a loco
motive engineer in California and came
from San Francisco to Astoria on the
tug Samson.
Shaw is a stranger In Astoria. He
came here only about two weeks ago
and did not begin work at the factory
until the early part Of last week.
Chris Rentz. the missing man. is well
known In this city. He came here In
1865 and has since that time been en-
gagged in fishing and running scows
on the lower Columbia river. He was
about 45 years OF age and unmarried.
lie has brother. John Rents. who re-
sides in Seattle, and his father is said
to be somewhere in the Sandwich ISL
ands.
Moore was asked at the hospital last
night what he knew concerning the ex-
ploslon. He declared that, as far as the
cause was concerned, he had not the
slightest knowledge. About an hour
before the explosion the steam-guage
registered only ninety pounds pressure.
Only few minutes before the explo-
sion. he said. he had shut or the in
iector and that the addition Of the
cold water in the boiler had. by that
time. reduced the pressure to a frac-
tion less than sixty-five pounds.
II Mr. Moore's statement is correct
the only conclusion that can be ar
rived at rs a solution of the cause of
yesterdays disaster is that the boiler
was defective.
Mr.. De Force was seen shortly after
the report concerning the explosion
had reached this city, but would not
express an opinion on the matter fur
ther than that he had heard that one
of the men was killed. another injur-
Ell and another missing and that he
knew nothing except that an explosion
had occurred causing the disaster. He
insisted upon waiting until complete
details were received before making a
statement.
Mr.. De Force had left the factory
only few minutes before the acci-
dent. In fact, he was on his way to
Astoria on board the launch Elf when
he heard the report from the explo-
sion. No sooner had he arrived at the
deck than the report was received that
his beautiful residence on Youngs bay
had caught fire and was burning to
the ground. The report was soon veri-
fied by telephone.