The San Francisco call., 1905-08-17

Two explosions yesterday afternoon
ct the Judson Dynamite and Powder
Works, near the bay shore, two miles
north OF West Berkeley, killed William
r. Edris, foreman of the nitro -glycerine
house. seriously injured Albert Z. Oh
sen, laborers and more or less cut and
bruised seven Chinese laborers.
The nitro -glycerine house, the first to
go, and the dynamite mixing house,
which exploded later. were demolished.
Much minor damage was done about
the works, while the shocks from the
upheavals were felt for miles around
San Francisco Bay, many windows be-
ing shattered through Oakland. Berke-
ley and as far north as Point Rich
mond.
Edris was in the glycerine- house
when it blew UP. and not vestige of
his body was found. Olson was zoo feet
distant examining tanks Of soda, and he
was struck by flying debris, being seri-
Ously cut on the head and the arm
A miraculous escape was that Of Jim
Ezro. driver Of dynamite car, which
stood partly loaded on track near the
glycerine- -honse. The car and its con-
tents were toppled over. but Ezro was
not scratched, nor was old DAN" the
horse, d veteran Of several explosions
at the works.
The Cinnamon who were hurt by de-
bris Were either in the dynamite mix
ing house or just outside. A heavy
piece Of lead was driven into the
shoulder of one Of them, but none of
them were fatally hurt
The nitro -glycerine house blew up at
1880 o'clock yesterday afternoon, short
ly after the material for the days run
had been worked up. It was standing in
the n1ixi0g tubs ready TO be delivered
at the mixing house for manufacture
into dynamite
Herman Felix, the helper at the CIV
cerine-house, had cleaned up his work
leaving Foreman Edris alone in the
place For years il had been Edris'
custom TO remain there and potter
about examining the machinery and
making repairs. With sudden roar a
great volume of smoke shot upward.
the boom and crash of explosion fol-
lowed IN an instant. a big jet Of flame
lcaped into the air. and the glycerine
house was gone, with 1900 pounds OF
the mixture.
BURNING BRANDS NUMEROUS.
Burning brands few over the works.
setting fire to the grass on the hillside.
on shelves Of which the various houses
were built Flaming debris set fire TO the
dynamite mixing house. Men from all
departments hastened to the scene to
fight the spreading flames There was
AoAASIA % AnSAduL QGdln every minute.
Superintendent /. N Nielsen set guards
out to give ample warning, and it was
the careful precautions then taken that
averted a serious loss of life when the
second explosion occurred.
The dynamite mixing-house exploded at
2:z5 o'clock, almost exactly two hours
after the first bIow-up. In this house
which had been abandoned when the
glycerfne plant was destroyed, were 1000
pounds OF dynamite and 2S0O pounds Of
nitro -glycerine. On the hilItops in the
dry grass were scores of men freight
ing. and not a few more hardy spirits
were IN the open fields north Of the
houses. Again there was a cloud Of
smoke. a roar and a solid body
Of flame marking the destruction of
the mixing house. Newspaper men who
were busy collecting details of the first
explosion were shaken up by the con-
cussion, but none of them. nor any en-
plOyes Of the works, were injured.
Fire continued TO spread through the
dry, grassy hillsides into the underbrush
Big gangs of men were sent out and after
a hard battle got the fire under control
and saved further loss to the property.
DYNAMITE rs REMOVED.
AS soon as the glycerine-house had
exploded a large quantity Of dynamite
stored in a packing-house near by was
IELlORGQ 10 a pldCt OL comparative
safety. Four loaded cars of dynamite that
stood on the Southern Pacific Company
tracks close to the works were quickly
hauled away, a switch engine crew from
Oakland being hurried to the station
These were out of the way just after the
second explosion had torn great hole in
the hillside, leaving only a blackened,
acid-bUrned waste of debris to mark the
scene. The removal Of these laden cars
was a great relief to the men at the
works, the dynamite there being in suf-
hcient quantity to seriously endanger the
lives Of employees who were scattered all
through the grounds.
Superintendent Nielsen took charge of
the fire and rescue brigade as soon as
the explosions shock had warned the
works In the first roundup several men
we're missed. but all were finally account
ed for but Edris.
DR.. F. r. Woolsey from West Berke-
lev and DR.. Blake from Point Rich
roond were on the scene, summoned
with ali haste. They dressed the in
iuries Of the men who were hurt and
remained at the works until after the
investigation proved that none had
been hurt in the second blow up. The
fre-fRhters were warned to keep as far
s1vav as possible from the dynamite
Westinghouse, which was slowly burn
ing In the debris about the houses
were small tanks of glycerine. These
burst with sharp reports, signals OF the
impending crash that should wreck the
dvnamite-house. Smoke, yellow and
black from the acids. rose in dense col
unns for hours afterward from the
mess OF wreckage, while through it
were occasionally silhouetted the grimy
forms OF men beating back the running
FIRE that WAS blackening the hill.
The mixing plant proper and its aux
ilfary apparatus, tanks, oil tubes and
the like face the north and were on