Perth Amboy evening news., 1914-06-11
DEATH ENDS TORTURE
Of GIRL INJURED /
POWDER EXPLOSION
After Seyn Weeks Of Suffering,
GLADYS Mackey Dies In Hos
pIta| Pleaded VainIy to be
Taken Home to Die.
SECOND GIRL VICTIM At PLANT

After fighting against the newt
able for seven weeks, Gladys Mack
ey, eighteen years old, of Totem
vile, victim of the explosion which
occurred at the plant of the United
States Cartridge Company April 21,
sllccumbed to her burns and injuries
yesterday afternoon at the city hos
p1tal She 1s the second girl en-
ploye of the cartridge works to sac
rifice her life by receiving injuries
in explosions.
Weeks of torture from the severe
burns which she received about the
head, arms, chest and back, did not
result in any improvement and, af-
ter making a brave fight for life, the
victim passed away just at twilight,
death bringing relief to her untold
suffering.
Realizing that she could no longer
continue her fight for life, Miss
Mackey begged to be taken to her
heme at Tottenville, wishing to die
surrounded by her family, but her
pathetic appeals were of no avail
since her condition was such that
she could not even be moved into a
private room at the hospital.
Although it was thought probable
that Miss Mackey's life could be
saved when she first entered the city
institution, she had been gradually
.,siifkhrs and it is believed that had
she recovered she would have been
totally blind and armless, the deep
burns caused by the explosion of the
powder having almost destroyed her
eyesight. She regained conscious
ness, however, up to the time Of her
death.
The explosion occurred at the
AIfidge works on the morning of
A Ill 81, caused by the explosion of
!; geral shells at a loading machine.
n vivid fash of electricity, which
followed the accident, revealed Miss
Mackey, In an unconscious condition,
lying on the floor near the machine
she was operating, the shower Of wa
ter from the new flooding device
having failed to extinguish the
flames in time to save her from in
juries.
Horrifed by the recollection of
the previous fatality which occurred
at the plant, the girl operators fed
in a panic, leaving behind the only
victims of the explosion, Miss Mack
ey and Lawrence Kidd, colored
helper The ambulance was sum-
moned and the burned employees
rushed to the city hospital, from
which Kidd was discharged two
weeks after, his injuries only prov
ing slight.
The first victim of an accident at
the United States cartridge works
was Margaret Kellner, who died
January "a, 1912, following terri
BILE explosion which hurled her
across the room In horribly mutt
lated condition, the last spark of life
Pickering out at the city hospital a
few minutes later. Since that time
the factory officials have been TAX
ing precautions against similar &C
cident.
The real cause of the accident will
probably never be known, an inves-
tigation conducted by Prosecutor
George S. Silzer having failed to as
certain the defect which caused the
combustion.
Undertaken Mullen took charge of
Miss Mackey's body, the remains
being taken this morning to the
home of her parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
George Mackey, in Fisher avenue,
TottenviIle. Funeral services will
take place from the Church of Our
141sady Help of Christians Saturday
morning and interment will take
place at st. Peters cemetery, New
Brunswick.