The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-06
BL0WUP KILLS
II, INJURIES "a
Du POnt Cap Plant at Pomp-
ton, N. j., Scatters Death
Among MunitiOn Workers.
ONE BUILDING DESTROYED
Soldiers Reported to Have
Been Killed and Hurt in
Explosion.
ONE BUILDING DESTROYED

-Four explosions. following each
other rapidly. wrecked the detonator
assembling building of the cap works
of the E. I. du Pont de Nemours &
Co. at Pompton Lakes, y. j.. yester-
day afternoon, killing eleven men and
seriously injuring twenty-four. There
were only thirty-five men in the build
ing, 30 not one escaped unscathed.
The du Pont worHs at Pompton
Lakes covers many acres and employs
1000 persons. The building in which
the explosion occurred was known as
Unit 8. It was used for the assembling
Of detonators for high explosive shells
and terpedoes. In which illuminate of
mercury forms the decorating SUBJ
stance. The compound is highly In
fiammable and easily exploded.
The dangerous character of the
work was 80 apparent that the
company had taken every precau,
ton to prevent accident. The unit
was divided by beams and metal so as
to form little booths. with the idea
that should an accident happen in one
compartment the neighDors would not
be harmed.
Flying Timbers Insure Many.
At 4:26 o'clock the first explosion oc-
cHrred. 1t probably killed every man
in that section Of the unit. The sec
ond. third and fourth explosions came
as the other employees. running for
their lives. went into the field about
the place.
The house was built of timber and
brick. and the force OF the explosion
sent huge pieces OF timber flying after
the fleeing workers. ManyN were
struck by these missiles after they got
we'll out OF the plant. Arms were torn
off and legs lost in the ranks OF the
refugees.
Fire started in what was left Of
the building. The firemen attached to
the works put it out without trouble
In the meantime calls were sent to
Paterson and other towns In the vi
; cinity for medical aid. Twenty
|. physicians responded.
Many OF the men employed In the
unit had families near by. When the
explosion came they rushed for the
place, making. frantic efforts to get
near the wreck. Guards held back
the women and children while the
doctors and nurses looked after the in
Jured and willing hands aided in re-
moving the dead.
Four of the wounded will die, ac-
cording to the physicians who took
charge Of the emergency hospital at
Pompton Lakes in which eight Of the
men were held.
Soldiers Reported Killed.
4 report current among the employ
ees was that the killed and injured in
cluded several Soldiers who had been
transferred from Camp Dix to the
works. No verifcation OF this report
could be made. and the addresses. of
the identified dead were not made pub
lie by the company. For some reason
known only TO the head men of the
plant the names Of the wounded were
entirely withheld.
Employees from the other buildings
said that the explosion was caused by
the scraping Of a tray OF detonators
against illuminate Of mercury. Burn
ing timbers from the unit were blown
over against a sheathed metal maga-
zine containing large quantities Of ex-
plosives and AGAINST the house con-
tanning the charging department, both
quite n distance from the cap works.
Had either OF these been set off by the
burning timbers. said the workers, the
entire plant would have been de-
stroyed.
In the Pompton Lakes plant, includ-
ing all of the buildings In the group,
there were 1000 men and women at
work when the roof went Off OF the
cap works. The workers left their
units hurriedly to take part In the
rescue work.
IN contrast with the accidents Of
like character OF which there have
been twenty-five at Pompton Lakes
and Haskell since August 20. 1914,
taking total OF forty-four lives,
yesterdays explosion was not felt by
the surrounding country. and small
damage was done outside of the unit
In which the caps were being made.