The Penn's Grove record., 1916-02-04
|NJORE SEVEN
A Big FlaFe-Up of SmOkeleSS Powder
On Carney Point
VOL. 38, NO. 5

The brilliant scenes of war time in a
country of peace was witnessed last Fri
day evening when five explosions of pow
der occurred on Carney Point. Seven
men were injured and FIVE have died
from the fiare-ups of smokeless powder.
The victims were:
Fred Fitz, of Reading, Pa.
Lawrence Holt, of Camden, n. J.
Harry Miller and David Ball, of Phil
adelphia.
William Wallace, Atglen, Pa.
j.. e. Williams and Fred Startling. ad-
dresses unknown.
The brilliant flashes illuminated the
sky so that the explosions and fire were
seen by people for thirty miles distant.
As one glow died out another apartment
exploded and increased the excitement
of all citizens in Penns Grove and the
panic among many workmen and teams
leaving was war experience, indeed. The
workmen who had arrived home return
ed to the boundary of the works, but
could do nothing nor learn little. Some
who were to go to work on the eight
O'Clock shifts went in and came out. so
great was the panic among the men and
teams. Some jumped into bitches and
were pulled out. Others scurried at full
speed to get away because the flying
embers might set other places on fire.
1t was exciting. thrilling and agitating
with fear for the lives of friends and
relatives. Happily, not one of the in
jured is a native, nor resident of Penns
Grove. All the casualties during the
past eighteen months have been to
strangers. Not a resident nor old work
man of Penns Grove has been injured,
which shows that all the accidents have
been among new and careless workmen.
TIL first explosion was in a storage
house for powder at Plant 3. The fly
ing embers few in different directions on
a quiet atmosphere and caused the other
explosions without Earring the earth.
The second and third buildings to go
were a resting house and dumping shed.
These are partially open buildings and
accounts for the quick SUGGESTIONS of
explosions. 1t was in these that the in
jured received their burns. The fourth
building was a dry house. The three
buildings were on C line at Plant l, near
Plant 8.
The heroic efforts of the workmen from
other departments and from Fenton's
Beach kept the fire from spreading. The
meadow grass was set on fire which was
kept from running to other buildings by
men stamping out the fire and using
their coats dipped in the water from near
by bitches. About SIS the fifth build
ing went up with a dazzling flash, caus-
ed by a smoldering ember.
1t has been estimated that over fifty
tons on powder were burned, besides the
buildings. The loss of the powder. val
ued at 100000, was greater than the
buildings.
The injured men were taken to Della
ware Hospital, Wilmington.
Lawrence Holt and Fred Fitz died of
their burns on Saturday. Fred Starl-
ing died on Sunday. Their clothes were
almost entirely burned from their bod
les, leaving only their shoes. J. f..
Williams and William Wallace died on
Monday.
David Ball and Harry Miller remain in
the hospital in a critical condition.
Some others were slightly injured.
The reports given out that men are
killed and injured daily at Carney Point
is false. If such accidents were COM
mon surely citizens of Penns Grove
would be among the list and they would
be known by their neighbors.
The most astonishing thing is that
there are not more accidents where so
many men work. The extra care and
constant warnings save many.