New Britain herald., 1930-02-19
DEATH TOLL IS 10 IN NAPHTHA BLAST

(Coutinucd From First rasc) Nhlch broke was a high pressure naphtha line and that fumes from it were 1Snitcd by portable forgcs used by Workmcn constructing new building near the one story building housing the alcohol plant.
 Th" night shift of 1.100 men cm- ployod on the 100 acre reservation occupied by the plant in Linden. q suburb, had started work at 2 n. m hey had been on duty 55 minutes when there was a terrific explosion which was followed Immediately bv two lesser blasts
 Long tongues Of blue flame from alcohol fumes shot from the win doWs and doors Of the building and from gaping holes torn in the roof end walls.
 N2n Thrown on Ladders
 About 20 feet from the alcohol plant, a number of masons, carpen- tors and laborcrs was working on tn" new building. The force Of the explosion threw them from scaffolds. while the licking flames set their clothing atire.
 Worknon employed in the alcohol plant rushed out, their clothing aliamc, many sroping their way, p''ndod by tho fire. They left four of their fellow workmcn dead in the plant. Their bodies wore recovered after the fire which followed the cX- plo5lon had been cAtinguished. The fifth man. William Duffy, died in Elizabeth General hospital.
 Trucks, private automobiles and all available ambulanccs were used to transport the injured to Elizabeth General, St Elizabeth and the Alex ian Brothers hospital.
 At tho hospitals cots were set up ih corridors and railways to care for the scores of injured as they were carried iii.
 All Doctors Called
 Every doctor and nurse in F.Iza- beth was called on to augment the hospital staffs. Priests, nuns and many Protestant clcrgymon went to the hospitals 10 help attend the vic- tims
 Word or the accident rapidly reached the homes of the workmcn and crowds Of relatives rushed to the hospitals seeking husbands. fathers and sons. Difficulty was cy- per'enced learning the names Of the victims and much confusion resulted as weeping women sought frantical- ly for their mcnfolk.
 Police lines were formed outsi1c the hospitals to keep the crowds in order.
 Dr. Edward J. Eayno, who at tended many Of the injured at Eliza beth General hospital, said that he feared that " most Of these poor fcl- lows will die"
 The condition of most Of Usc men is critical" ho added, "Thr severity Of their burns is almost un- believablc. Blindness. l fear. awai!s most of those who survivc."
 William SlaVcn, 2 mechanic. w;,o came out Of the alcohol plant un- scathed said:
 Tt seemed as if flames were shooting out in long tongues :.I) around mo. Many of the tongues o1 flame acted frcGxIshly as the, followed the path of the alcohol fumes. Tho flames were on all sides of mo. One sheet of flamc was only 10 feet from mo. It lcft mo untouched, but l saw it strin, , some other men"
 Hurled to Ground By Blast
 James CapernicChio, q laborcl employed on tho new building, wa wheeling q barrel of mortar wh.rl the explosion occurred. He said aI- though he was '50 feet from tho alcohol plant, he was hurled to tho ground by the blast and found him self afire.
 'I lcapcd up,' he said. "anI everybody around me looked as il they were dead. They were all on the ground, Then they began geg, ting up. Most of them were on fir They started running. There is :; heavy wire fence around the build ing just there Most Of the m F seemed unable to sec. They couldn't find the gate to get out and tho\ became panicky, beating at the fence
 
 In addition to the burns suiCcrcl from the sheets of flame, many C1 the Workmen on the new building suffered fractures and other mjur- ics in falling from the scafIolds.