Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-02-07

!. Captain C. Albert Gasser, of the
department of combustibles and fire
risks; Detective Godfrey, of the prose-
cutor's office, and Plainclothesman
Goodwin, of the Second precinct, made
an official examination of the fatal
| japanning room today. Although the
strictest secrecy had previously beer
maintained by the company. an Eve
ming STAR reporter was permittGftf'
be present at me investigation.
| No cause for tho explosion could be
! found.
1T must have been purely acciden-
tai said Captain Gasser. Every
available safety device has apparently
! been used. 1t is possible that a faulty
ventilator failed to work and the
fumes accumulated in the oven that
exploded.
A few minutes after the overtime
workmen had left the iapanning room
last night the tremendous roar and
shock of the explosion threw them into
panic.
When those who had so miracu-
lously escaped death recovered them
selves and cautiously forced their way
back over the debris into the dark ia
panning room, they found in the tan
gled wreck the body of Lofts, terribly
crushed, and the unconscious forms OF
three men who had been caught. Hiss
ing steam from a broken feed d-pips
added to the horror OF the scene
The only man who could explain sx-
actly how the terrific blow-up hap
pened Is dead. lie was blown IRON be
side his own oven past six others to
solid wall OF luasonry
County Physician Mckenzie. who
arrived at the huge plant at Lacka
wanna avenue, Orange and Plane
streets. soon after the accident, an
nounced today that ne believed the ac-
cident was caused by forgetfulness.
The ovens were heated by a mixture
of gas and air. According to the coun-
ty physician the gas was probably
turned on and not lit by Lotus or some
other employee. Later on, when an at
tempt was made TO light it, SO large a
quantity had accumulated that it ex-
ploded the oven like a huge bomb.
The official investigation revealed to-
day that there had been seven ovens in
t. room. One, made of galvanized
iron, was installed only last week, al
though it was oven No. @ ten years
old, that exploded. This oven, of
which the dead man was tender, was
known as quick" 1t was used for
japanning small instruments and baked
them more rapidly than the others. II
was charged twice daily. Last night II
contained number of watt-hour meter
bases.
In size the oven was feet long,
feet wide and feet high 1t was con-
structed of angle and shute iron, lined
on the outside with asbestos. The ex-
plosion took place in the oven proper
and not in the retort in which the gas
and air fuel was mixed
Captain Gasser carried away with
him the chart of the recording ther-
mometer. Strange to say, the record
was uninjured 1t shovel that the
heat at the time of the blow-up had
been 200 degrees, which was normal for
the quick" oven.
So great was the force of the explo
sion that it not only tore the contents
of the room into shattered wreckage,
but it blew out the windows on both
sides Luckily the benzine and japan
ming fluids had bet II removed. as was
customary at night. to the oil-room in
the yard. II the explosion had hap
pened during The day these oils would
have added to its destructive force.
The hat of one Of the victims was
found crushed and torn i the wreck
age.
Henry Miller. the assistant superin
tendent put the damage at $1,000 and
as soon as the officials permitted it,
started gang OF men at work cleaning
out the debris.
He explained to the investigators
that the company had fire marshal.
fire doors between the various depart
fcontinusd ON sseosd rsss,