New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-14
Wrecks Brooklyn Plant
and BurieS Victims
in Debris.
FIRE IN FACTORY;
NEIGHBORHOOD PANIC
Explosions Menace Res
cue Party-Woman Hurt
Inquiry Ordered.

Thirty persons, employees Of the
Beckers Aniline and Chemical Com
many. st ST. Marks and Underhill avs.
Brooklyn, end residents of the neigh
borhood. we're injured, one was killed
almost instantly and the plant ripped
spsrt from cellar 10 roof by an eX-
nlos.on in it's laboratory yesterday af-
iernoon.
The blast was caused, il is believed,
nv experiments which DR.. William
Reckers, msnsger and owner Of the
factory. had been conducting TO solve
the secret Of certain dyes which hith-
srto he had imported from Germany.
he returned from the war zone less
than month ago TO resume these ex-
periments.
THE DEAD.
HAAREN walter = tVsnty-fOui. chemist. iSA
Wssi isig ST.. Manhattan
THE INJURED.
p.prRrcrP loAr foreman. rs Underhn a..
s-oos'7r. burns. Hoy Family Hospital
pySsyY Wfniz- SostrInd sv. Brooklyn: cuts
al barns: Cumberland street Hospital
NIXON. Tbo-U % Rogers sv.. Brooklyn; burns
"a s-ukss Holy Family Hospital.
WALTERS. Ado.ph. - Ste'lins Plsee BROOKLYN,
Surns a-d le,t hand blown or Cumberland stree,
Hospital
snGIER Frsnk. 30 Gsrne> s,. Brooklyn: cut. and
surrs Holy Family Hospital
TUCKER. Roy, q Corneis ST.. Brooklyn; burns
Cu-he-.sr1 Street Hospital
CvUF0YLE. Hsrry A. salesman. lS4 LcnoI t'..
Providence cuts Cumberland Street Hospital
DAVID. Sa-lel r. manager. Boston cuts. burns
al broken leg; taken 20 hotel
TRRsCH Feli1 IL Psrk Place. Brooklyn: cuts
JsEsl Hospital
KJGER George. 57e Para Place. Brooklyn; bruises
Jeysh Hospital
ArsTIN. Prank ls5 Carleton s, Brooklyn: burns
All cuis Ho.y Family Hospital.
DORIAN Louis ! Raleigh Place. Brooklyn; burns
9tFbf Hospital
D0RfAN william. ! Raleigh Place; buns Jewish
Hosiia.
MILLER wuHsra. manager 4s4 willard s'.. Wood
laTe-. lo-s Island. cuts.
WILT WILMER 80 Cornelis 81. Brooklyn burns
Cumberland Street Hospital.
wuIGAN John. 4S hast 10th St.. Brooklyn; burns
an cuts Cumberland street Hospital.
RAyANskI Michael. 80 Warren ST. Brooklyn
e-;s lgtsl Hospital
rlUCHTER Joseph 242 New jersey N Brooklyn
1g., s1l BUNS Cuinberl and Street Hospital
RlCKrIR. ssmvsl. Ascnua d. bsrs; Jswtsh hoe
Jl;L
s1OL1z Mrs. Ellen. ll5 Underhin sr.. Brooklyn
r-is Jcrish Hospital
In addition TO those checked of by
the police and surgeons froid four
hospitals other persons in the neigh
borhood were injured by the explosion
and flying debris from the plant.
Victims Had Slight Warning.
Shortly after o'clock yesterday
afternoon. while Hasren. for the last
year an assistant to DR.. Dreyfus, who
was in charge of the experiments, was
in the large laboratory on the second
floor, persons in the plant heard a
strange rsttling sound in the vicinity
Of the chemical tanks. Twice before
within g week this same sound had pre-
eeded small explosions in the plant,
and the employees were getting nervous.
Those on the ground floor started for
the exits
The nqxt moment every person IN the
building was hurled to the floors. A
detonstion that blew out windows and
lifted the roof, buekled in the second
foor, poured tons of debris through
partitions and into the basement, and
scrambled men, machinery and fixtures
IN mass
Some Of those thrown down, and
temporarily out of their senses, got to
their feet and ran blindly seeking safe
". Before they had taken two steps
the chemical tank on the first floor
blew %. The second floor, its concrete
and steel construction bent by the force
Of the first blast, was driven upward,
broken and sent tumbling back down
into the foor of the first story, leaving
the building wide open from ground
10 roof
Dr. Beckers was in his Office on the
first floor. He was driven half through
partition. cut and bruised. and his
night ear torn nearly off. He regaineo
his senses and rushed out of the build
ing ana across the street 70 the office
Of Dr. J. B. Nesry. He broke into the
PHYSICIANS Office, crying that has fac
loTy had been DloWn up al" ~
leved everybody was killed.
Immediately DR.. Neary turned MS
Office into an emergency hospital
Meanwhile reserves from several sta
tions had arrived and an engine COM
psny appeared. Directly after the nrs'
squad Of tiremen came Chief Lally and
fire Marshal Brophy. =.
Rescue Crew Searches Plant.
Captain Foley organized a rescue
crew Of FIVE men and led them into the
building As they entered the doors
third explosion, Of less force, oc'
cured At once flames burst out IN
the walls about the wreck of the sec
ond floor.
A hurried roster Of persons dragged
out by the police indicated that two
Persons were still in the building
Chet Lslly turned in two more alarms
and while the fremen were at work on
ihe blaze Captain Foley and his mer
started a search for the two missing
employees. AS soon as the flames hac
oesn partly extinguished on tho
wrecked second floor the rescuers vent
ared up.
They found Haaren burned, cut and
gtuised almost beyond recognition