Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-09-24
co. TO Get GAS FROM ELIZABETH.
Officials Took Immediate Steps to
Ward Off Further Disaster from the
Two Immense Tanks Nearby.

Inc exact cause mas not yet Deen
ascertained and it may never be
known just how the explosion at the
Perth Amboy Gas Company's works
yesterday afternoon occurred. Sew
eral theories have been advanced and
the most likely one is that advanced
by Joseph Cocyman, one of the en-
ployes who was in. the building at
the time of the explosion, He said
that he noticed that some gas was es-
caping and that in some unaccount-
able way a spark or flame of some
kind must have found it's way into
the roonl.s.tsSf
AT the time of the explosion he
and sAbrahAm Johnson, the foreman
of the. Works; were in the purifying
building, charging one of the three
iron purifying tanks. The lid had
been removed from the top of the
tank preparatory to dumping some
iron filings and shavings into 1T,
when without warning an explosion,
occurred, which shook the city. At
once a sheet of flame blew over the
wreclcage and soon caught the wood
work of thesroof.
sCecyman- managed to squeeze his
way through the mass of broken gir-
ders and fallen bricks to the open
air, sustaining few burns on his
arms and hands, but he otherwise
was not seriously injured.
Johnsop,Ethe foreman, was not so
fortuaate.y fEither the falling bricks
or the sheet fof flame which immed-
lately followed, rendered him un-
conscious. He fell on his back across
the tank which he was filling and
when found was pinned down with a
timber joist' of the roofing. 1t was
not until the firemen arrived about
sever minutes after the explosion,
that any real effort was made to get
the injured man out. An aged woman
met the first firemen to arrive on the
scene and told them of the plight of
one ofgsthe men. The first firemen
said that, 1T taken out sooner, Mr..
Johnson might have lived.
The fire presented a vicious ap-
pearance, and danger seemed to be
threatening from all sides during the
first few minutes after their arrival.
But there was not man amongst
them who flinched and the way they
answered the call to rescue the un-
fortunate man won praise on all
sides. William Mckenzie and A. II.
Crowell of Protection Hook and Lad
der Company, and James Dunham, OF
Lincoln Engine Company, were the
first firemen to get to the injured
man and remove him from the wreck
age to an improvised bed in one of
the other buildings. Physicians were
hastily summoned and, a few min
utes later, Dr. Nj. S. Meinzer and DR..
]. l.. Lund arrived and gave first aid
to the injured men.
1t was seen at once that Mr.. John
son was so terribly burned that it
was merely a question of few hours
when he would succumb. A short
time afterward the ambulance ar
rived and he was taken to the city
hospital, where he died last night
about 73O o'clock, without having
regained consciousness.
Joseph Cocyman was removed to
his home and, although he was burn
ed severely in a few places on his
arms and hands, he is doing as well
as can be expected today.
Protection H. & l.. Company and
Lincoln Engine Company were the
first to arrive at the scene of the fire,
but the others were not far behind.
Chief Mullen at once upon his ar
rival realized possible danger of
more buildings blowing up and sent
in general alarm.
No chances were taken, for, if an