Evening journal., 1916-01-15
Ammonia Blast
MAINS FIVE MEN
Night Blow Up at RepaunO
Plant is Due TO Ignition
OfGaSeS
PROPERTY DAMAGE
WILL REACH SIS, 900

GlBBSIOMN, n. D., jan 10. w
men were hurt, two probably fatally,
when the ammonia building OF the
Repauno Chemical Company plant OF
the dupont Powder Company blew up
about 10 o'clock last night.
The two who are expected TO die
are Edward Budd, the foreman of the
ammonia building. and Isaac Gibson,
a workman. They were sent to the
Cooper Hospital in Camden.
The other three men injured were
able to walk to the company's hospi-
tai in Gibbstown. Their injuries we're
slight
The ammonia plant is used in the
manufacture of dynamite In the
ransition of the nitrate from the
crystal to the liquid form, gases are
generated. and to these gases ON
cials of the company lay the blame
for the explosion.
Only Five Men in Building.
So far as could be learned at late
hour the five men who were hurt
we're the only men at work in the
building. The entire structure OF
brick and iron, twenty-five by sixty
feet went up i'm a cloud of debris that
settled some distance from the scene
of the accident.
About four hundred men from this
town Paulsboro and the surrounding
country were employed in the plant
when the excplosion happened.
The shock of it was heard as far north
As Camden and hardly had the echoes
died away before telephone wires were
busy with anxious inquiries as to the
extent Of the explosion.
fright for the safety of husbands and
other relatives employed in the plant,
aockcd 10 the streets and called out Tor
news.
Telephone Wires Broken.
10 make matters worse, the telephone
wires leading to the company's plant
here We're disconnected by the explosion
and for more than an hour 1t was I'M
possible to learn the extent Of the ac'
cident
The companys guards at the plant
we're redoubled and all efforts to gain &C
cess to the place by terror stricken rela
tives of the workmen employed there
were repulsed.
IL was an anxious hour for hundreds
Practically every man, woman and chii6
in the country for a radius of twenty
miles was awake and trying TO learr
how many had been killed
The shock Of the explosion was Sc
severe that il was at first believed tha'
many fatalities had resulted.
Foreman Badly Injured.
Budd the foreman. is a resident o
this town. He is so badly injured tina
he is not expected to live. He was un
able to speak when dragged from be
Meath the ruins Of the ammonia house.
II is not known where Gibson lives.
The monetary damage caused by
the explosion IS fixed by the compan!
officials at about $4,000
NAV Have Been Due TO Gas.
Concerning the explosion at the
dupont plant at Repauno. y. J..
Charles b. Lands, as spokesman fol
the powder company. explained tina
the building that was wrecked was
ed for the conversion Of nitrate o
ammonia from liquid to crystal form
in which it is used in the manufac
ture OF dynamite. the only explosive
made at this particular plant.
He added that IL was the first ex
plosion of the kind in the long his
tory of the company. and that, while
the injured men. one of whom. Budd
was the superintendent OF the build
ing. could not explain what had hap
pened. it was believed that gas ha'
been generated in the chemical pro
cesses and that It was this gas tina
exploded. There was no reason Il
believe that II was due TO anything
but natural causes, he emphasized.
ELIMINATE KILLS WORKMAN.
POMPTON LAKES, y. j., Jan. 10
One Of the sheds at the dupont pow
der works blew up in a pun of vel
low smoke yesterday and Aarol
Parr. aged 80. of Delaware. y. j., VIII
was working over receptacle con
tanning illuminate of mercury. wa
instantly killed. Another workman
from the munitions works is IN tn
Paterson Memorial Hospital, but tn
precautions taken for secrecy hav
prevented his identity from becomin
known.
The duPonts. at their North Jerse
.plans in Haskell. Pompton an
WAYNE. have perfected police an
spv system whereby the grounds ar
patrolled and suspicious workmel
trailed when off, Every week one @
the many buildings "lets go, pu
serious accidents have been mtre
ouent. The accidents. according I
workmen, are caused by speeding u