Evening journal., 1909-11-17
FOREST FIRE AT
POWnFR Mills
\ Wv ~ AAN A'AA~@ASH$
Men Faced Explosions to Pre-
vent Bigger Ones at Has
kell Works
CARTRIDGES SIZED
AMID FIREFIGHTERS
Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL
PoMPToN LAKES, N. J., Nov. IT,
Showers of blazing powder ~aps fell
among dry leaves and timber on the
slopes of the Wanaqua Mountains yes
terday afternoon. setting fire TO the
woods, and for more than an hour the
complete destruction of the z. !. DUPONT
de Nemours powder works. on the shore
OF Lake Inez, was threatened. The burn
ing missiles we're shot into the air by
explosions from a packing house Of the
company and fell in the sun-dried refuse.
Good work OF the local fire department,
aided by employees of the plant, headed
of the fire from the part Of the works
on the lake shore where tons OF expio-
sives are stored
The laborers and the girls employed IN
the packing house had quit their benches
only fifteen minutes before FIRE broke out
in the building. The gates Of the reserva-
tion had been opened and those who do
not live in Pompton Lakes or Haskell,
n j. were IN the railroad station watt
ing for train to Paterson.
About 545 o'clock an explosion was
heard in one OF the rooms of the packing
Of a watchman and fireman After the
first report there was a succession Of ex-
plosions like the cracking Of a bunch Of
frecrackers.
The workers ran back inside the COM
pany grounds. A night watchmsn. Lynch
Phillips. rushed TO the power house and
pulled the whistle to call the IRE DEPART
ment At the sound the men OF Pompton
Lakes rushed their engine and the hook
and ladder truck TO the plant.
Blazing caps were blown through the
packing house roof and windows and
dropped in a shower upon the galvanized
iron roofs OF smaller buildings near by
and many fell in the leaves OF the woods,
which soon were dotted with small fires
that were spreading rapidly in the strong
wind
To the roofs of all the threateued
buildings men climbed. carrying hand ex-
tlnguishers. They guarded tons OF com
husubles and explosives suficient TO blow
them to atoms II single spark was per-
rnitter TO communicate. The hose lines
q sfhe plant were brought out and kept
s2'ained on the windows and men formed
" icket brigades ready 10 run 20 any spot
trched by a blaze.
The local hre-hghters attacked the
flames in the packing house. but the
bravest Of them held hack at the pros
pect OF forcing a way through the shoot
ing caps. Finally the men pulled their
leather helmets down hard upon their
faces and bucked through the drizzie OF
hre. Hose was connected with the inside
hydrants and streams were directed upon
the heart OF the blaze. It reqpired only
twenty minutes TO subdue the inside
fire.
Danger from the mountainside how
ever. was ever increasing. The woods
fires had mounted higher up the slope
and the burning leaves continued to fly
toward the powder works. The danger
lof their striking a vulnerable spot grew
SO the volunteers and the workmen start
ed up the side Of the mountain to a new
point OF attack. They fought the fire
downward
with rakes, shovels and picks they
fought the flames and after two hours
had confined the fire to a narrow area
A combined assault then by the volun.
teers and the workmen brought the fr'
70 a halt and soon thereafter the flames
were all subdued.
The works that were subjected to the
danger extend through seventy or eight,
acres along the shores Of the lake, and
had a fire broken out in several build
ings az once the local redshirts woulC
have been utterly powerless. Undoubted
ly there would have been terrible explo
sions and loss Of life. Property valued
At hundreds Of thousands Of dollars woult
have been sacrificed.