Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-25
CITY ROCKED
BY EXPLOSION
POWDER PLANT BLOWS UP; TWO
MEN KILLED
FACTORY ON BAY SHORE is DE-
MoLlsHED
Shock Causes Panic In Factory In San
Francisco-M any Hurt In Mad
dened Rush for the
Doors
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
OAKLAND, Aug. A.-Two men were
killed and others were injured in terri
fic explosion at the Giant Powder works
at Sobrante, on the bay shore, about
noon today.
Three tons of nitro-glycerine explod-
ed, demolishing three buildings, the wash
house. the mixing plant and the acid
separating house. The acid tank also
was wrecked.
RICHARD THOMPSON, foreman Of
the mixing house.
WILLIAM DOANE, a workman.
The injured:
]. Hattich workman; severely.
Niles Johnson and Peter Mcclellan
barely escaped with their lives.
The explosion was so heavy buildings
in all the cities bordering on the bay
were rocked. Vibration of the earth re-
sembled that caused by an earthquake
and general alarm was caused.
Causes Panic in Cannery
The explosion at the powder works
caused q panic and the injury or
number of persons in San Francisco
When the explosion was heard by the
1000 employees of the California Fruit
Gamers association, who were at work
in the big establishment of that COM
pany at the foot of Van Ness avenue,
they thought 1t was caused by an
earthquake and made a mad rush to es-
cape into the streets. During the
stampede a number of persons were
thrown and trampled upon.
No one was killed, but at least thir-
teen persons were badly hurt. Seven
Italian women were removed to the
central emergency hospital, other
women were taken to their homes and
three more of the injured were treated
at the canneries.
When the shock of the explosion was
first felt several Italian employees went
into the street to investigate the cause
On re-entering the building they SAID
it was an earthquake and this started
the stampede During their efforts to
get outside a few men drew their
knives and wounded several persons.
others jumped into a chute used to
send cans down in and were landed In
a. heap at the bottom.
+ The officials of the company say that
the reason the shock seemed so severe
to the employees Is because the building
is built on made ground They say
that no damage was done to the struc-
ture. 4 Ng~ M
Thousands of gallons of acid in the
lead tanks in roaring flames added to the
catastrophe and soon the flames spread
to the grass and brush on the hillside
round about and threatened the destruc-
tion of the entire plant. Two hundred
people in the employ of the company and
volunteers from San Pablo, under the
leadership of Superintendent Frank Rol-
ler, fought the flames until evening and
averted a complete destruction of the
settlement The property loss is about
$50, ,0O0
Women May Die
OF the injured women removed to the
central emergency hospital one who
remains unconscious and whose name
has not been ascertained, suffers from
internal injuries and possibly has
fracture of the skull.
pital are: Rosa Angeloni, possibly in
jured internally; Josephine Marinella,
possible fracture of the skull; Mrs.
Balloni numerous cuts about the head;
Teresa Quaccia, possible internal in
juries; Katherine Quaccia, ribs broken; !;
Maria Sabini, in serious condition as
result of the shock; Mary Scardinia,
seriously hurt and may die. Antonio
ConniZia also is in a precarious state.
In addition to these one injured
woman was removed to the Harbor
hospital ard six others to their homes.
The main crush occurred In the main
hallway of the building into which
nearly all of the 800 woman employees
rushed.
Those below somehow slammed the
heavy doors leading to the street and
the hundreds of women who threw
themselves headlong down the stairs
were crushed against the barred and
bolted exit Not until Lieutenant
Wright arrived with a squad of patrol
men were the doors opened and the
women allowed to reach the street.