Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-04
VICTIMS BADLY MANGLED
First Terrific Blast Was Followed by
q Second One.
NEW EXPLOSIVE IS BLAMED
No Ofhcial Statement Made, But 1t
Is Known Experiments Were
Being Conducted.

Two men were killed and one other
painfully injured by two fierce explosions
in the fuse and prime shop at the Wash
ington navy yard about 80 O'Clock this
afternoon.
John Cademartori, thirty-eight years
old, an Italian whose address was 942 E
street northwest. was one Of the men
killed. James Griffith. ffty-five years
old. of 321 G street southeast was the
other Cadermartori was badly mangled.
Were Assembling Fuses.
Christian Scheide. a workman at the
yard, who lives at 9l5 9Th street south
east, was seriously injured.
1T was stated at the yard this after
noon. by Capt. E. F. Beatty. L. 8. N,
the commandant. that the three victims
of the explosion were engaged in assem-
bling fuses for the major caliber guns.
He could advance no theory TO account
for the accident.
One of the employees Of the yard de-
clared positively. however. that just be-
fore the explosion the three men had
been engaged in experimenting with a
new explosive. This employe insisted
that these experiments had been going
on for some time under the direction of
a workman from the plant Of the du Pont
Powder Company at Wilmington. Del.
Died at the Hospital.
The ambulance of the Casualty Hos
pital, summoned by officials of the navy
yard, reached the scene of the accident
few minutes after the explosion. DR..
McGovern, who was in charge, saw at a
glance that Cadamartori was beyond hu-
man aid and turned his attention to
Griffith.
Griffith was hurried to the hospital
alone, but he lived only about fifteen min
utes after being put on the operating
table
After leaving Griffith in charge Of the
house surgeons DR.. McGOvern hurried the
ambulance back to the navy yard and
took charge of Scheide. He was on the
operating table for over an hour while the
powder and small particles OF steel were
being taken from his body.
The morgue wagon called at the navy
yard and took the body of Cadamatori to
the morgue. Later it went to the Casualty
Hospital for the body OF Griffth-
News Broken to Family.
The news Of the death Of John Cade-
martori was conveyed to his relatives by
Star reporter He lived at 942 E street
northwest, and his brother is a. fruit
dealer, having a stand at the corner of
10th and D streets northwest. His
brother said he had heard nothing of the
accident but that Cademartori was en-
ployed at the navy yard.
The brother Immediately set out to
find what he could about the accident,
vainly hoping that the dead man was
some other Italian by the same name.
The board named by the commandant
to investigate the accident is composed
OF Lieut. Commander Arthur L. Will
lard, Lieut.. James III. Tomb and Lieut.
Richard Wainwright, jr.
Shop Is Badly Wrecked.
The two explosions caused great ex-
citement in the vicinity of the navy yard
The fuse and primer shop, whic his badly
wrecked as a result Of the successive
blasts, is in the northwest corner OF the
grounds, a short distance ives: Of the
main entrance and close to the resi-
tdences of the Marine Corps officers sta
toned at the yard.
Coroner Nevitt, who was Immediately
notified of the accident, announced his
intention of making an Investigation.
Inquiry Board Named.
Capt Beatty appointed q board of in
quiry after the explosion, and this body
Immediately began a rigid investiga ton
to ascertain the cause Of the explosion.
Capt. Beatty said this afternoon he
was absolutely unable to suggest a
possible cause of the accident. More
than 5000 fuses had been put together
without any accident whatever.
Cademartori lived a 94o E street north
west.
Scheide's address is given as 915 9th
street southeast
Cademartori had been in this country
about twenty-five years. having come
here when he was nine years of age. He
had been employed In the navy yard for
about six years and during the Spanish
American war he fought In the navy. He
was unmarried.