The San Francisco call., 1905-08-17

the side of the knob-like hill that
stands between the San Pablo road and
the Southern Pacific Company's tracks.
The plant is at the line dividing Ala
media and Contra Costa counties. the
works being just across in Contra
Costa.
LOCATION OF HOUSES.
The nitro-glycerine house, containing
three mixing tubs, stood above the
other house. To the east a little be-
low was the dynamite-house. Beyond
TO the west is an abandoned black
powder house. still farther west is the
dynamite packing house. There are
small outbuildings connected with each
of these. To guard against spread of
fire the grass around the buildings had
been cleared and only bare ground sur
rounded them for some distance. But
the debris carried over the hillside and
lighting on the dynamite house. set it
afire. Great tanks of water on the top
of the hill above the mixing houses
were opened after the glycerine-house
exploded, but on account of the ex-
treme danger Superintendent Nielsen
would not permit his men to get too
near TO direct the water to the dyna-
mite-house After that went up better
work could be done in checking the
spread of fire. On the bay side of the
hill stood large batteries of tanks con-
These were emptied of their contents,
while the grass fire was working over
the crest of the hill toward the tanks.
Manager Penniman estimated the loss
to the works by the explosion at $1,000.
This includes the destruction of the
houses, apparatus and loss of exploded
material. 1t is a conservative figure.
Herman Felix, the survivor of the
glycerine house explosion, considers he
is under a lrlclxX tl,o
experience he said:
"All of the work for the day had
been cleaned UP in the glycerine house
II we had not got through SO early 1
suppose l should have been among the
missing, but luck was with me and
against poor Edris. He was a very earn
est workman and made it his business
TO stay every day after the mixing was
done TO look over things and to see
that everything was in order 1t was
his devotion to his work that cost him
his life. can't tell what caused the
blowup nor can anybody else. 1t just
happened, and there is nothing left as
a trace of the cause"
MAN AND HORSE ESCAPE.
Jim" Ezro and his horse, Dan, came
out like veterans of long campaigns.
Ezro could not explain how he escaped.
1t was crash shock and a run for life
with him. Olson, who was not as near
the nitro o-glycerine house as was Ezro.
said he was knocked fat by the con-
cussion and was repeatedly struck by
flying missiles. He got out of the dan
ger zone as quickly as his injuries
would permit. After being given medi-
cal attention Olson was sent to his
home, 1929 Sixth street West Berkeley.
In a little cottage at 1921 Fifth street,
West Berkeley, the wife and two chill
dren of Foreman Edris waited IN vain
for tidings from the missing husband
and father. 1t was not until late in the
afternoon that they were told of his
fate.
Edris was one of the old employees
at the works and was accounted care
full. painstaking man, thoroughly ia
miliar with his hazardous calling.
Felix resides at 1921 Fifth street He
joined the fre-fighting crews in the
afternoons work, rejoicing in being
there unscathed.
Manager Peniman made the follow
ing statement:
The explosion In the nitro -glycerine
house did not occur until after the
work of the day had been completed.
The fluid had been mixed and all of
the nitro -glycerine had been neutral
ized and subjected to the second test
that is always made before it is run to
the dynamite mixing house Foreman
Edris remained in the building to clear
up things for the day. The explosion,
which cannot be explained, set fire to
the dynamite mixing house. The fire
exploded a small quantity of dynamite,
which caused the second big explosion
So far as we have been able to dis
cover the nitro -glycerine house was in