Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-05-02
THREE MEN AGREE
AS TO CAUSE OF FIRE
Assistant Super.
intendent and Electrician Be-
Heve Disaster at Chocolate
Company's Factory Was Due
to Spontaneous Combustion

Spontaneous combustion caused the firc
which snuffed out three lives and de.
stroyed tho plant of the Vermont Milk
Chocolate company Thursday night.
The foregoing is the opinion of Frank
Doyle. superintendent of the burned mill,
William Douglass. assistant superin-
tendent, and T. d. Wisell. tho chief
electrician and machinist. 1t was given to
Free Press man verbally Friday night by
Mr.. Wisell, who was within 20 feet of the
explosion and who was one of tho last to
leave the doomed building.
Spontaneous combustion he illustrated
by comparing the action that would fol-
low the coming together of the ends of two
gallon can Of gasoline. A similar occur
ence took place in the cocoa room Thurs
day night, only the gasoline In this in
stance was the cocoa, the igniting agent
not being definitely ascertained This
agent, however. might have been due to
an exposed wire. but the probability more
generally accepted Is that 1t was due to
friction.
Mr.. Wisell said that previous to the
time Of the explosion the men had been
trying out a new kind Of chocolate coat
ing. 1t was while thus engaged that the
number three machine went bad. Find
that they could not continue to manufac-
ture the new coating on this machine. they
decided to start work on number four, a
new machine just installed and never be-
fore used.
Wisell says he was in the act Of putting
a pulley n the shafting to run the un-
tried mill and was standing on a ladder
with one hand on a large gas pipe when
the first explosion took place in the cocoa
room, 20 feet distant
Immediately he heard the words: For
Gods sake, come with us: there Is an ex-
plosion in the cocoa room" Superintend-
ent Doyle and Assistant Superintendent
Douglass, who were In the room with
Wisell were the speakers.
In an instant, Doyle and Douglass got
hold Of a hose in the room, but after an
| interval had passed one Of the men said
| "For Gods sake, get out of here; there's
no use Of trying" Doyle then shouted
| Let's get the men out Of the press room.
and with that he and Douglass started
for the press room. calling over their
| shoulders to Wisell to get the men out
Of the cooling ROOM"
| II was at this moment, as Wisell started
for the cooling room, that second ex-
plosion took place. and so great was the
conclusion that all the doors In the place
were closed, although he says they aftel
the first shock they we're all opened Con.
| tinuing on to the cooling room, Wisel
| found the place abandoned. He then made
his way back to the shipping room. where
he found Alderman Edward B. Besette
now in the Mary Fletcher hospital suffer.
| ing from the effects Of the burns re-
| ceived In the explosions.
| Mr.. Besette. although staggering
through the door. and seemingly unable
| to go on, shouted at Wisell to help the
other boys in the room. meaning Upton
Crowley and Companion. Wisell made thi:
effort and succeeded In getting within 6
few feet of the men. but so great wa:
the density Of the smoke from the ex
ploded cocoa and the burning insulation
| on the wires that he was obliged to desis
from his efforts
In the darkness Wisell now made hi
way back to the cooling room, where HI
broke the cold air shaft and clamberet
through this means Of exit to the opel
air. Once out of the building he made hi
way to the front door of the building
where he met Douglass and Doyle on thei
way down to the front stairs. with towel
wrapped around their heads.
Both Doyle and Douglass had spent tn
time since they left Wisell in goinl
| through all the rooms Of the burning
building. to make sure that none of tn
help had been overlooked. and did no
make their way therefrom until the.
could grope their way no longer becaus
Of the heavy gases.