The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-21
CARbOMC ACID GAS
EXPLOSION FATAL
Shipping Clerk Instantly Killed
by Piece of Flying
Steel

One man was instantly killed, an
other badly wounded, and a score or
more, cut and bruised by the explo-
sion Of the cylindrical drum. charged
with carbonic acid gas, at the factory
of the Bishop & Babcock company,
manufacturers of air pumps, $50 East
Minnehaha street, early yesterday after
noon. Albert Keep, a shipping clerk
was struck in the abdomen by a piece
of jagged steel and instantly killed,
while Henry WabrowitZ, a laborer, was
struck on the knee by a flying piece
or wood diSlodged by the explosion.
The heavy splinter sank deep into the
flesh, infiicting a dangerous wound.
The accident occurred about 1870,
when all the men employed at the fac
tory were at work. A large number of
the drums, which are made of seam
less steel. are about six feet high ard a
foot in diameter, had been charged
with carbonic gas and arranged in
rows in the storage room. Suddenly,
without the slightest warning, one of
the drums exploded with a frightful
roar, shattering the windows of the
building and throwing the rest of the
drums to the ground Keep, who was
just coming out of the office into the
storage room, was struck by a flying
piece OF steel and sank TO the ground.
He died few seconds later.
Workmen Knocked Down.
Everywhere the workmen employed
about the place We're thrown to the
ground and many of them struck with
flying bits of wood and steel. A num-
Der OF cuts and bruises were reported,
but none of the men, with the eXcep-
ton of Keep and Wabrowitz, was
seriously injured A drum fully charg-
ed, standing near the one that ex-
MI 6nd Oh .
the factory, landing on the street half
block away, but did not explode. The
police ambulance was called and Wab-
rowitz taken to his home on Lafayette
avenue, after being attended by Po-
lice Surgeon Moore. Keeps body was
taken to the morgue, where it was ex-
amined by Coroner Miller and was
then removed to the undertaking rooms
of Jacob Rockstroh. The coroner de-
cided the death was purely accidental
and an inquest unnecessary. The Of
ficers of the Bishop & Babcock COM
pany are at loss for an explanation of
the explosion, and say that never be-
fore in the history of the company has
a drum stored with carbonic acid gas
exploded. The explosion must have
been due to a latent defect in the
drum" said an officer of the company
last night, "some flaw in the steel that
come to us from the factory with q
certificate of inspection, which shows
that every one has been subjected to a
pressure Of $500 pounds. believe that
this is the first explosion of this kind
that has ever taken place. 1t is the
first ever heard of, anyway"
Pressure Was Light
The drums when empty weigh about
sixty-eight pounds. According to the
officials of the company, none of the
drums was subjected to more than
1000 pounds pressure, and yesterday,
on account of the climatic conditions,
the pressure was reduced to $50
pounds. The drums stored with the
carbonic gas are used for pumping
purposes and are delivered about the
city at regular intervals. No great care
| has ever been considered necessary in
handling the drums, as the gas can
not be exploded by a sudden jar, and
when encased in a sheet of seamless
steel was considered absolutely safe.
Keep was married and leaves a wife
| and several children. The funeral ar
| rangements have not yet been decided