Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-02
STOREHOUSE At
LISTER FACTORY
IS SWEPT
Damage Estimated at $125,ooo
Blamed on Explosion of
Naphtha.
FOUR SLIGHTLY HURT
BATTLING THE FLAMES
Two Firenen Injured by Falling
WaIIs-River Boats Help
Save Buildings.

A three-alarm fire today in the plant
of Listers Agricultural Chemical
Works. in Listerfavenue and the Pas
sale river completely destroyed one
storehouse, causing damage estimated
at s125, 900, of which $4,000 was on the
building Two employees of the firm
were burned, and two f1remen were
hurt by a falling wall. None of the
injured are in a serious condition.
The fire was caused by an explosion
in the extracting department, known
as building No 80. A spark from
grinding machine ignited a naphtha
tank and the flames were carried
through a chute to the storehouse,
known as building No. S6. The lat
ter building was well stocked with
fertilizing material called tankage,
which was almost ready for shipment
This stock valued at $40 a ton, was
total loss.
The extracting department was only
slightly damaged. 1t was said work
men saved the building before the
engines could reach the plant
Foreman Was Burned.
William F. Carson. foreman of
the extracting building, who lives at
63 Elm road. was near the grinding
machine when the explosion occurred
and was badly burned about the
hands. John Ganker, twenty-four
years old, of 10 Albert avenue, an
other employe, was severely burned
about the face. back, arms and head.
He was taken t. the CITY Hospital
in the First precinct automobile, but
Carson had his burns dressed at the
plant and refused to go to the hos
pital. Ganker suffered considerable
pain from his burns, but his condi-
ton is not regarded as serious.
While the fremen were fighting the
blaze the west wall of the building
caved in Fireman Philip O'Neill, of
Engine Company No. 2, and Henry
Hauck. OF Engine Company No 20,
We're hurt by falling bricks. ONeill
was injured about the head and face,
while the bricks struck Hauck in the
legs and pinned him to the ground
for a few minutes. Neither fireman
was seriously hurt, and refused to
go to the hospital.
1t was said that Lister Works en-
ployes attempted to eXtinguish the
blaze themselves before the fire de-
partment was notified and the delay
caused the fire to get a good head
way before the fire apparatus ar
rived
When the firemen arrived they had
to fight hard to prevent the blaze
spreading to adjoining buildings. The
extracting building, which is about
twenty-five feet from the building
which was destroyed, contained con-
siderable naphtha, it was said. 1t was
also feared that the blaze would
spread to the power house nearby.
Two powerful steam lighters of the
Lister Company were used to pump
water on the end of the building
which threatened the power house.
They gave valuable aid. The boats
are the Joanna and Alfred &, Edwin,
which run between the Lister plant
and New York;
Other Wall Gives Way.
A short time after the west wall
fell the south wall also gave way.
No one was hurt by the flying debris.
The firemen fought the blaze on the
south side from the windows of the
extracting building.
The store house building, which was
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