The San Francisco call., 1901-12-05

ERKELEY. Dec. z-The gelatin
~ mixing house and guncotton
room Of the Judson Dynamite
~ and Powder Company's works
On Cerritos Hill, a mile north of
West Berkeley, were destroyed this aft
ernOon at o'clock by two explosions,
which occurred thirty seconds apart. One
Chinaman was killed and two others in
jured. The foreman, George z. Miner,
had his face and hands severely cut and
his body bruised Julius Roth, work
nan. was also cut and bruised AS is
usual with such explosions, no one is able
10 give the cause.
Two holes in the ground with splintered
timbers and twisted irons about show
the former location Of the houses A
dirt buIkhead between the two buildings
was leyeled. The debris caught ire and
it took the employees an hour TO eXplh-
gUish the flames.
The explosion is remarkable for the
small loss OF life il caused. Sixteen men, men,
white and Chinese, were IN or ABOUT the
buildings when the structures were
blown 10 fragments, and how all but one
man escaped the others are unable to tell
That they all did not lose their LKes Is cue
10 the freak Of explosions. WonoerIul
c,onsi6erine the wide nature OF the de-
strucuOn, is counted lucky one
among men engaged in the dangerous
business Of handling the hlgh explosives
manufactured at the works.
The scene of the explosion IS on tne
north side of Cerritos, or McheeXer
hill, close to the sWamp's edge Ihree
buildings were built into the hill with
bulkneads Of dirt eight feet thick DetWeeA
them. They were used IN the manufacture
CT gelatin-dynamite. On the east was
the s.stufing'' house, on the west the gun
cotton house and between these Two the
mixing house. The west and center houses
were totally wrecked, while Ine Lhlru Wds va;
practically Uninjured. L. n. HOFFMAN, lhe
manager Of the company, places the loss
Of the Two houses at $1,000 This does not
include the damage TO ether buildings
another $1,000 to the total
Mixer Explodes First.
According to Foreman Miner the
mixer exploded first Miner was sitting
beside the huge bronze bowl with his
his escaDe he deems nothing short Of
miracle. The dead Chinaman was IN the
same house with Miner. but he seems TO
have run in front OF the guncoltoH 1ouse U.s.
and got the full effects Of the second e1-
plosion. His body was hurled thlrfy Ieet
across the swamp into often II was
two hours after the accident oeIore II
vyas discovered, a fellOW-cOuntrynan nnd-
ing II. The body showed slight evidence
of the force which threw il into the ditch.
The clothes were not even torn
-Four white men and twelve Chlnamen
we're in the danger district. Miner as
stated was at the MIXER W H. EoIls'
ne engineer. was at the boiler, not far
from Miner. ana JULIUS null a
e-J E-rsTlZ Coster were in front of the
houses. The Cinnamon were at different
l5ofurs. most Of them inside Of the build
fngs. Roth was driving car ana the
horse stood on the track in front Of the
s'stuffing" house, fifteen feet from Inc
r,esf-, wreck. and received no injury The
men fed in all directions after the first
e,nIosion TO be thrown to the ground at
rhe second and heavier shock
Foreman Miners injuries consist OF deep
sasbes in his face and hands, caused by
fving glass. and body bruises. A piece or
glass an inch long cut the left cheek to
<he bone lust below the eye Roth, the
o+l7er Injured man, was cut about the
face. Two Cinnamon were cut and
bruised. Miner tells a story Of q wonder
ful escape. He said;
was sitting beside the mixer with my
srrn RESTING on its edge. when suddenly felt il
give In instant an explosion occurred ana
everything was totally dark
Chinaman Thrown Thirty Feet.
7 started for the door and at that time
fa1+ The blood running down my cheek. il
came into my head 10 touch the lever and stop
ire engine and ] hesitated at the doorway.