Evening star., 1940-09-23
2KiIIed, Il Injured
In Army Arsenal
Blast in New Jersey
Explosion Occurs Near
Scene Of Recent Powder
BIowup Which Killed 50
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
DOVER, N. j.. Sept. 23-Two per-
sons were killed and II slightly
injured today in an explosion at the
United States Arry's Picatinny
arsenal.
1t was the second fatal munitions
blast in the Dover area within a
fortnight. The explosion of smoke
less powder line at the Kenvil plant
Of the Hercules Powder Co. took so
lives on September II.
The workers killed at Picatinny
were identified as Elias Lawrence,
40, Of route 6, Rockaway. and John
E. Goodwin, 26, of Towaco.
Col. A. S. Buyers. public relations
officer at the arsenal, said the ex-
plosion occurred as employees. were
taking apart fuses of World War
shells. "a dangerous job at best"
They we're in a building about
80 by so feet in size and set apart
for this operation. Each employe
was protected by screens, which
apparently prevented serious in
jury to any of the six reported hurt.
Col. Buyers said he thought there
were only l3 persons in the struc-
ture. The blast caused some dam
age" in one end of the building,
he said.
Inquiry Is Begun.
A military board began an i'm
mediate investigation to determine
the cause. Col Buyers said it ap-
parently occurred when illuminate
of mercury, used in the fuses,
"let 60"
The operation was to recover the
metal parts of the fuses, which
would then be loaded with fresh
explosives and used again
Picatinny Arsenal develops and
manufactures for the Army all
types of ammunition except that
for small arms On its 2.297 acres
are more than 500 buildings of all
sizes.
The explosion occurred about 7
am. One victim was taken to the
Dover General Hospital, still crowd
ed with injured from the Kenvil
blast. but was dead on arrival.
Neary 5000 civilians are employed
at the arsenal, time peak
as it works full capacity "a hours a
day to meet Government defense
orders.
Col. Buyers said. however, the ex-
plosion was little louder than a gun
firing" and caused no great excite
ment. The arsenal has an artillery
test range
The injured included three women.
The casualties were identified as
Mrs. Lucy Vanderhoof. Mrs Emma
Sickle, Genaro Stone. Stephen
Benuss, Frederick Willis, A. G. Ny
lander. Milton Crane. John Morris,
Frederick Richards. T. N. Robinson
and Mrs. Schrieken.
They were treated at the post in
f1rmary. The shift affected had re-
ported an hour before the explosion.
They were working in tile building
and the explosion was severe enough
to damage the structure severely,
Col. Buyers said.
Other Disasters Recalled.
The explosion was the second Of
the year at Picatinny. Nineteen
workers were injured March %,
when pounds of high explosive
blew up while being processed.
1t brought to three the number of
munitions plants in this State to
suffer serious explosions in little
more than a month. Besides the
Hercules explosion, four men were
killed at the E. I. du Pont de
Nemours g. Co. dynamite plant at
Gibbstown August 20.
Picatinny Arsenal was nearly de-
molished July 10-1l, 1926, when
lighting struck the nearby Lake
Denmark. naval ammunition depot
and caused a series of explosions
which did 500, ,0O0, 900 damage there,
at Picatinny and In the surrounding
countryside. Twenty-one persons
were killed
Three persons lost their lives in
an explosion at Picatinny, March 81,
1890.