Evening star., 1953-11-03
Board Probing Ship
Blast Fatal 10 Seven
In Boston Harbor
BY the Assoeioied Press

BOSTON, Nov. 3.-A Coast
Guard Board Of Investigation to-
day began hearings to determine
what caused the explosion. and
fire which took the lives of seven
longshoremen and injured 18
others aboard the Norwegian
freighter Black Falcon yesterday.
It was the fourth ship fire in
the Boston harbor in II days. G.,
The dead and 13 of the injured
were working deep in an aft hold
unloading chemicals at the army
base, 200 yards from where the
aircraft carrier Leyte was berthed
when it was rocked by an ex-
plosion which killed 81 men on
October 16.
The seven victims either were
killed outright by the blast or
burned to death by the roaring
fire which shot flames 200 feet
in the air.
The victims included father
and Son-Anthony Bensaia, SO,
and Alvin L. Bensaia, 24-who
were working their first day as
longshoreman.
At least five saved themselves
from death by jumping over
boat after their clothing caught
fire.
The work gang in the hold con-
sisted of 81 men, but Robert J.
Flaherty, 18, had left the ship
only moments before to get cof-
fee for his co-workerS.
In addition to those killed and
injured in the hold, five fire.
fighters suffered burns that re-
quired hospital attention. At
least a score of other rescue
workers were treated at the
scene for burns and smoke in
halation.
Edward F. Montgomery, chief
of the Boston Fire Departments
arson squad. said after a pre-
liminary survey of the scene that
it is his theory the explosion
was caused by a mixture of
chemicals.
He said a drum of sodium
peroxide apparently was slowed
"too near the boilers" and that
the heat caused some of the
chemical to leak out and mix
with bauxite-aluminum ore
slowed in the same hold.
He said that when the mixture
began to shoulder. one of the
men threw a pail Of water into
it and caused "a violent chemical
reaction"
Daniel j. Donovan, interna-
tional vice president of the
LongShoremen's Union to which
the victims belonged, charged
the drums of chemicals we're
stored near boilers against
regulations.
He pointed to some drums un-
loaded from the Black Falcon,
and declared to newsmen: Look
what's printed on them"
The drums were marked:
Sodium peroxyde-stow away
from boiler-made in Germany"
Labels on the drums also warned
not to spill contents and not to
subject contents to moisture.
None of the Black Falcons
crew of 40 was injured. The
ships master, K. Langballe, A,
of Shelbourne, Australia, was at
the customs house obtaining
clearance for the vessel to leave
fer Philadelphia today. It's de-
parture was delayed because of
the tragedy.
Capt. Langballe would not
comment, but was heard to ex-
claim, MY God, My God!" as
grapplers brought the last of the
bodies from the hold.
In addition to the Black Fall
con and Leyte explosions, a Gov
ernment owned experimental
fishing vessel was swept by a
100000 fire while tied up in
Boston October %, and a Navy
radar ship, the U. S. S. William
K. Wood, suffered $4,000 dam
ages October 26 in a fire caused
by a boiler bareback.
Thirty-three Navy men and
four civilians were killed aboard
the Leyte. officials said the
blast was caused when hydraulic
fluid leaked from a pinpoint hole,
vaporized and became ignited.