The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1911-07-21
NirNoolvcgRiN oroNgo ~ 0U
POINT POWDER PLANT At
LouvlEas gxPlooes.
SEVERAL ARE INJURED
DENVER 40 MiLEo AWAY, -
SHAKEN ~ TERRIFIC
CONCLUSION.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Denver.--At I.ouyiers. about four
miles south Of Littleton. three men are
known to have been killed and many
others injured at the plant Of the T. ].
Dupont de Nemours Powder Com
pany. when two nitrosiycerin build
ings blew up.
The explosion was followed immedi-
ately by fire, and the death list may b
much larger than was at first reported.
The detonation was heard for miles ID
every direction and WAS distinctly felt
In Denver, eighteen miles from the
scene OF the accident. The bodies OF
the three men killed were torn into
shreds and no trace Of them has yet
been found.
1t was thought by many that the
terrific noise. followed by vibrations Of
the earth's crust. was caused by an
earthquake. and panic ensued In Lit
Teton and other nearby points. many
persons leaving their homes in early
morning neglisee.
The men who met their deaths In
Tue tADtosioh ahCs augustus hASbRA~t
william Humple and Hans Lervtg.
| Lervig leaves a wife and six children.
while Hoppe and Humple are single.
This is the second explosion which
the Dupont people have had At this
plant. The last one. in which one man
was killed, occurred about three years
| ago.
The force Of the explosion wrecked
| some Of the smaller buildings near the
nitroglycerin building and broke win
dows in structures for miles around. II
was feared at first that the detonation
would cause other buildings. stored
with powder to blow up also. The
greatest danger. after It became appar-
ent that the vibrations had not set off
any Of the other storage houses or
mixing buildings, was from fire.
In spite Of the danger. employees Of
the company Immediately began to
fight the fire In order to keep II from
spreading. The riain buildings are
separated from one another SO far
| that the flames could not spread d.
rectly from one to the other, but II
WAS feared that sparks and burning
brands would set off more Of the ex-
plosives scattered around.
Cars stored with soda and other
combustible materials used In the
manufacture OF giant powder and nj.
trogiycerin were moved away from thu
scenes ~ soon as possible.
A. d. Chambers. superintendent OF
the plant, was at the scene directly
after the explosion and superintendent
operations. He was unable to ascrib-
a cause for the setting off OF the dan
gerous explosives In the nitroglycerin
building. but said II might have been
caused frcm any one Of . dozen
things.
The men killed were the only em.
pioyes In the building ut the time. Be-
cause OF the always constant danger.
only u few men are employed In any
Of the buildings ut any one time. and
these men are selected for their work
because Of their known carefulness.
They wear felt shoes. and every pre-
caution Is taken to prevent the explo
siyes from being set off by accidental
concussion. None OF the employees II
allowed to carry matches. or smoke
within the danger zone. They are PAID
from $40 to SIS per day.
The manager. william c. Howard.
whose office Is In Denver. In out Of
the city ut present and the offices are
In charge of J. y. Ravens. The first
intimation Mr.. Ravens had OF the nc.
cident was when he was notified by
phone. Later he received a report
from the plant.
THE accident II not NJ serious as II
might be-" said he. ''Of course. nm
accident In which three men are killed
Is serious enough. but We are glad that
more men did not lose their lives.
Every possible prccaution II taken TO
prevent such accidents.
/ Three men only were killed. accord.
ing 10 the report I received. The DIFF.
ferent buildings Of the plant are widely
scattered. In order to prevent m acci'
dent In one building from spreading
to the other buildings In which explos-
ives are manufactured or kept. Ths
storehouses are located In hoilows.
separated BY > hill. don't knos aow
much giycerin was stored N the
building which went up. - the guam.
tity varies at differsnt .imss
After making N lavsstigation d thu
ruins. 6upsrintsn1snf Chamber saws
out . statement saying tAat only e,O0e
pounds ~ nitsoglyessis wsss = ~
bull1lng Destroyed ~ ~ ezvoeeeoa.