The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-04-05
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
INSTANTLY KILLS THREE
PANIC FOLLOWS At U. II. CART
RIDGE CO., BRIDGEPORT.

Other Buildings Causing a Scene Of
wild ExcItement-ExpIosio Occurs
in Dry House which is Used to Dry
Primer Caps-Structure Blown to
Pieces and the Only Man in it Blown
Thirty Feet Into Air.
Bridgeport, April Am a terrific ex-
plosion that blew to pieces one OF the
buildings of the Union Metallic Cart
nidge company in Barnum avenue
shortly before the close of the days
work to-day, three men were instantly
killed, and in the panic which followed
women tainted and made frantic ef-
forts to get within the walls surround
ing the plant, as it was reported that
many more lives were lost than really
were. Such scene of wild excitement
this city has seldom witnessed, and the
horror of the situation was increased
by the breaking out of the fire and the
appearance Of ambulances and morgue
wagons, which ratified up to the factory.
"A few moments after the explosion oe-
Cured the fire department arrived on
the scene and did good work in check
ing the flames, which it was at first
feared would spread to the nearby
buildings.
rSba ax,a ~ oa,,ea ne +ba ey,rIneiaI, NAV
never be known as the only man in the
building at the time, John Neary of 1873
Milne street, was blown through the
roof thirty feet with a great mass of
debris and came down dead. Two
truckmen Michael Hurley, 1907 Sea-
view avenue, and William Bayiss, 1853
Holly street, working near the building
also went up with the explosion and
were horribly mangled. The building in
which the explosion occurred was
known as the dry house, and is used
to dry primer caps. These caps are full
minated and are made in the part of
the plant known as the Grove" and
are brought over to the dry house
somewhat moistened. Long steam pipes
running through the various compart-
ments Of the building are so arranged
that these primers can be placed on
them to dry. In some manner one Of
the caps was discharged, and the ex-
plosion followed soon after. The dry
iouses are constructed in such man
ner that should an explosion occur the
effect of it would be to force things
upward instead of in horizontal di-
rection, and in consequence Neary and
the debris were hurled directly sky
ward. Nearly every pane of glass in
the large number of factories compris-
ing the cartridge company's group was
broken, the foundations of nearby
buildings were shaken as if by a small
earthquake, and the explosion was felt
in houses within a radius of a mile.
In the various buildings of the cart
ridge company there are 1900 employees,
and all were working peacefully when
the explosion occurred. Some of the
working men and women saw the build
ing in its wrecked form shoot UP in
the air, and made a. rush for the doors.
Failing glass on all sides told of some-
thing serious, and in few moments
the entire working force was in the
yard, bareheaded and gaping, but order
was soon restored when the situation
was finally taken in. Some of the wo1n-
en- of the factory tainted in the early
excitement and were taken to their
homes in carriages and ambulances
Outside of the factory wall there
soon congregated thousands of men and
women whose relatives or friends work
in the factory, and on account of the
vague reports concerning the extent of
the disaster there was great excite
ment. The sight of the fire and the
cloud Of black smoke that rolled over
the city Immediately following the ex-
plosion caused mothers and fathers to
go almost frantic for fear that some
relative had been lost.
Superintendent Ryland said tonight
that the loss to the company would
reach fully $4,000 and it may be more
The dry house was made of brick and
was one and a-half stories high and
about 60x20 feet. It was in a cluster
of small brick buildings, the larger fac
tory buildings being several rods away.
Several of the smaller buildings were
severely damaged
1 Neary had been in the employ of the
company for twelve years, working in
several departments. His last position,
however, he had held for less than six
months, but he was supposed to be ia
miliar with all details of the work in
connection with the drying of the pow
der caps. Assistant Superintendent
George B. Thorpe in statement to-
night said that the exact cause of the
explosion doubtless would never be
known, although it was possible that
Neary dropped one or more of the caps,
which would have been enough to cause
the accident. 'It is the first time that
an accident has happened in this de-
partment," he said, land am at a loss
to account for it,
Coroner Doten will make an official
investigation tomorrow morning at $
o'clock, and will go over the ground
carefully. There is little to be seen ex-
cept hole in the ground and a pile
OF bricks, the small dry house being
completely wrecked.
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