The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-02-04
LIFE LOST And
PLANT WRECKED
NltrOglyCerin Explosion at
Cerebrite Works.
SUPERINTENDENT MARTIN KILLED
TWOof His Assistants Receive
Slight Injuries.
OTHER DAMAGE SLIGHT
Were Engaged in the Manufacture
OF High Explosives Invented by
the Late Count SmoIianOn.
SUPERINTENDENT MARTIN KILLED
OTHER DAMAGE SLIGHT

An explosion at the factory Of the Cere-
brite Manufacturing Company, situated
eight miles from Washington. between
the towns Of Landover and Ardwicll, Nd.
about O'Clock this morning, completely
wrecked the nitrogIycerin plant and
killed the superintendent. Richard Mar
tin. Two Of Martins assistants we're
slightly injured.
Due to the Freeze.
The exact cause Of the explosion is not
known. but is thought TO have beer due
to the freezing of the pipes which car
ried of the water from the tank in which
he nitroglycerin was manufactured.
Martin is supposed 70 have been ignor-
ant Of the fact .hat the pipes were
blocked and that dangerous quantity OF
the explosive remained in the tank
The building IN which tie nitroglycerin
was manufactured was located an eighth
Of a mile from any other building. It
was made OF cheap material and the loss
20 the company is small.
Engaged In Work sixteen Years.
Martin had been in the business OF
manufacturing high explosives for sixteen
years. He was engaged BY the Cerebrite
Company a year and a half ago for the
express purpose OF taking care Of their
nitroglycerin plant.
For the thirteen years prior 10 that he
had been foreman OF the DitmOre Powder
Works at Farmingdale, y. J. He resided
near the factory and left widdE and
several small children
Count smOIianOG's Invention.
The Cerebrite Company was organized
two years ago with 81 .O00 600 capital It
was chartered in West Virginia. arG was
formed to carry on work under patents
granted on certain inventions Of the late
Count Sergy de SmolianoR, a Russian
chemist and inventor.
The claim made for the cs--ebrite is that
It is a high explosive formcz b the CON-
5ination OF nitroglycerin and certain oils
and chemicals which insensitize it. Cere-
brite cannot be exploded by Jar or by
conclusion, as dynamite or nirogIycerin
viii, it viii not Ignite by contact with
fire as gunpowder does, nor viii il freeze
in cold weather. The only means Of ez-
plodlng II is by contact with another
chemical. much on the same principle as
the so-called safety matches
HIVE Extensive Plant.
The buildings Of the Cerebrite Company
are eight in number and are scattered
over sixty acres Of ground. The use Of
nltrogIycerin is necessary IN the manu-
facture OF cereBrite, and the company
made its own
To guard against the demolition Of the
en.ire plant. which Is elaborate, By just
such an accident as that which occurred
this morning, the nitrogIycerin plant
was located an eighth Of a mile from the
other buildings. The materials are car
ried from one building 10 another BY
means OF a system OF pipes.
The directors Of the CerebT.te Company
are Mr.. James L. Norris. president, M
L. p. Shoemaker. first vice president; Mr.
William J. Hendricks. general manager,
Nr. Frank Hume. Mr.. J. Fred Kelley. and
Mr.. Melvin Z. Myers. Mr.. Wilton J. lam
| bert Is general counsel.