Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-13
Z MEN BURNED
IN BIG FLARE At
CARNEY'S POINT
Five Buildings Destroyed When
100000 Pounds of Powder Went
Up in Spectacular Flare.
SKY ABLAZE WITH LIGHT

Shortly after Z o'clock last night n
fire, which had it's origin in drying
tunnel Mt plant No. 2 at the Carney
Point, n. j., powder words, communi-
Gated to other powder near It and IN
short time destroyed three tunnels,
building known as continuous dryer,
another house used as n continuous sorter,
and new water driving house.
Twelve workmpn who were in and about
the various buildings received injuries.
All of these men, with the exception oi
two, received only superficial skin burns
and after having their injuries dressed
at the plant hospital, went to their homes
or returned to work The two men who
were more severely burned renamed at
the plant hospital during the night and
today were brought to the Delaware
Hospital. Neither Of them it is reported,
is in serious condition.
Walter T.. Ford Of Ia South Redtield
street, Philadelphia, now>at the Delaware
Hospital, who was first reported to be
seriously burned, passed comfortable
night and is, reported as IN good condi-
ton The other man brought to the
Delaware Hospital is Clark Harbeson OF
Edgerton. n. j., who is burned about
| the hands. neck and face. His condition
| is reported as good.
| The other men who receive superiicihl
| skin burns and went to their homes or
| returned to work are Henry Raney OF
Iagon, Va; Thomas Garrlty, 2O06
| South Twentv-first street, Philadelphia
| John Griffith, Susquehanna, Pa, Edward
! Vaughn. % Amsterdam avenue, New
| York CITY: William Russcrt, Jr., Laia-
| vette. Cottage, penn's Grove; George
| Fisker. 1853 last Fightv-sixth street,
| New York City; Cornelius Sullivan,
| % south street. New York City; W. l..
| White. 42O3 Griscom street Philadelphia
| G. II. Jones, II Church street, Carney
| Point village: and William Thompson
Ills South Arch street, Lancaster, Ia
The fire started when a car IN charge 81
! Thomas Garrity, driver, ran over some
| loose powder on the track IN one OF the
tunnels and caused it 10 flare. Garrlty
! saw the flame under the wheel OF the cal
| and ran out Of the tunnel, giving inc
| alarm. lie managed also 10 drive ms
| horse 200 feet away from the tunnel
/ The flame Of the powder under the vince
/ OF the car soon communicated 70 th'
rest OF the material IN the tunnel and SCI
| il ahlaze This IN turn communicated t6
| the other tunnels and the other hulldlngS
! DESTROYED. 1t was in running from one
{
/ Of the men now at the Delaware Hospital
/ received his injuries.
The men working IN the other build
! lnCs also heard the alarm and managed
to get away without receiving serious
injuries.
The ire department OF the plant wa
slmnoncdat once and everything possible
to extIngulsh the blaze and keep the othel
buildings Of the plant nearby iron
being damaged As matter Of TACT tn
plant damage was confined TO the build
ings already mentioned.
The medical staff of the plant was alsC
! summoned and at once gave the inquired
men attention Ii was soon found tha
there were no workmen severely burned
with the exception of the two who wer'
brought to this side OF the river tins morn
ing. :,
Approximately 100000 pounds of mill
tary srnoEcless powder were destroyed
Most OF this was in the tunnels. Ih
flare of the burning material was seen Il
Wilmington and vicinity and there wa
alarm at first for fear there might b
some fatalities AS soon rs possible al
details concerning the men injured wa
sent to the main office of the conlpan.,
in this city and given out. The loss l
estimated at S225,0O0.