Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-01-25
CORONER HAS pR0BfD
CAUSE OF EXPLOSION


as they wept al the Kellner home In
Smith street last night. In broken
lsobs the mother and other relatives
fof the unfortunate girl sounded her
praises and mourned her untimely
death. The girls who were working
on the same floor as Miss KeLlner
when the explosion occurred shud-
dered when the subject was mem
toned.
Miss HoIop Tells Story.
Miss Anna Holop. of $40 Fayette
street, whose machine was stationed
five feet from where the explosion
occurred wildly describes her mar
row escape. Five minutes before
the accident happened" said Miss
Holop, who is extremely nervous,
"I was sent to the ground floor for
two cans of black powder. ! had
secured the material and had Just
reached the landing of the second
floor when the first. report was
heard. / staggered and in less time
than it takes to tell, the second re-
port was heard and a fame shot all
lover the room. / saw Miss Kellner
lying ON the floor and with the 9TH
er girls following | ran from the
building"
Man Tries to Stop Them.
Miss Holop continued and ex-
planned that a man had tried his
best to stop them from rushing down
the ~strairs. II don't know VINO the
man was" she said, but he used to
wear a large hlaeH mustache, now
lit is shaved off"
She says it was afterwards learn-
ed that the man was MT. Laughiin,
iof Railway.
Captain Does Statement.
Captain Doe this morning was
asked why an explosion should In
terfere With the flight of girls at a
time of the accident said I'VE
took this means to prevent them
falling down stairs. The girls Were
panic stricken and did not know
what they were doing"
Girls Resign Positions.
Miss Holop Is sixteen. years old,
and together with a ssore of other
girls resigned their positions as
soon as they were aware OF the fate
of their comrade/
Immediately after the accident
continued Miss Holop, I'VE all talk
ed together In the air and we soon
found out that tile Powder Girl' as
Miss Kellner was called, and Misses
Ida and Molly Shilling were miss
ing"
Al mar by the name of Harry
Trotter, the speaker says, together
with several other officials of the
company, when Informed Of the
missing girls, plunged into the
smoke filled building and brought
fthem out.
Faint from Fright.
The Shilling sisters tainted and
had to be taken care of by the doe-
tors. When the unconscious and
mangled form of Miss Kellner was
brought into the office several of
the girls tainted. Others ran Wild
ly about the plant refusing to be
.comforted. The girls ~all.refused to-
go back to work and went home.
When Miss Hoiop was questioned
as how many girls escaped without
serious injury, said: There were
two explosions. The first one was
only slight but as the flame shot
from the tube they enveIoped Miss
Killner preventing her from escap~
Ing the second and more serious
lone"
An explosion of mInuta nature
happened al the plant several
months ago, one OF the girls states,
but no damage resulted.
Other Girls Describe Scene.
Besides Miss Helop, Mary Smith.
lof 276 Watson avenue; Anna HOG
nidor, OF ACT tombstone street. and
Anna Howard, of Charles street,
openly voiced their sentiments Of
the accident at the Keliner home
last night. They trembled with fear
and in nervous tones said that they
would never return to work at the
lplant for fear q similar fatality
might occur
Last Rites Are Administered.
When DR.. William e. Ramsay
saw the girl at the plant. he whis-
pered, What church do you 60 tor"
In faint voice she gasped, Path
Ter Corr
The physician ordered his chauf-
feur to get the priest and hurry him
to the hospital. In the meantime
the girl was taken to the institution.
FEATHER Corr arrived at the bed side
lot Miss Kellner before she expired
and administered last rites. She
died several minutes after the priest
had attended her.
Thinks Pay Too Small.
Miss Smith, another Of the girl
employees, emphattcaily stated that
under no consideration would she
return to the plant. When asked