San Francisco, California
Vulcan Powder Co. Explosion
March 27, 1882
THREE TONS OF POWDER EXPLODE.
ELEVEN MEN KILLED AND FOUR INJURED NEAR SAN
FRANCISCO
San Francisco, March 27.--An explosion by
which 11 men were killed and four others
seriously injured, occurred this morning in the
Vulcan Powder Company’s works, across the bay,
where the manufacture of block blasting powder
was in progress. Fire broke out in a room in the
granulating house an communicated almost
instantly to the powder, only a small quantity
of which was in the building. A blast of flame,
however, rushed across a passage separating the
granulating from the drying house. In the latter
was stored about three tons of powder, which at
once exploded. The concussion was not very
great, windows of buildings 200 yards distant
not being broken. The dry house was blown to
pieces, killing or wounding all the men at work
there. The following is a list of the killed:
GEORGE STANSFIELD,
engineer:
H. C. LAMB.
L .W. STARR.
and
THOMAS MILLS,
carpenters:
MR. STEWART, General assist’s about
the works: and
SIX CHINAMEN. The wounded are
W. B. Dales,
foreman of the works, and
Gottleib Koch, Peter
Schofer, and
____ Ferris, carpenters. Their
injuries are serious and may result fatally. The
loss of property will probably fall within
$25,000.
New York Times, New York, NY 28 Mar 1882
San Francisco 27.--An explosion across
the Bay this morning occurred in the granulating
house of the Vulcan Powder Company, where the
manufacture of black blasting powder was in
progress. A fire broke out in the room,
communicating almost instantly to the powder,
only a small quantity of which was in the
building. A blast of flame, however, rushed
across the passage separating the granulating
from the drying house, in the latter about three
toms of powder was stored, which at once
exploded. The concussion was not heavy, and the
windows of the buildings 200 yards distant were
not broken. The drying house was blown to
pieces, killing or wounding all the men at work.
The following is a list of the killed:
GEORGE STANSFIELD,
engineer: H. C.
LAMB, carpenter;
L. H. STARR, carpenter;
THOMAS MILLS, carpenter;
MR. STEWART, general assistant about
the works, and six Chinamen. Wounded--
Gottlieb Koch, carpenter;
W. B . Dales,
foreman at the works;
Peter Schofer, carpenter, and
Mr. Ferris, also a carpenter. The
result of the injuries of the wounded men is
doubtful.
Deseret News, Deseret, UT 5 Apr 1882
Articles transcribed by Audrey. Thank you,
Audrey!
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