Anon Emous
2017-04-26 17:43:51 UTC
one might regard their processing and the manufacture of cartridges and
bombs as the most hazardous in pyrotechnics
Herbert Ellern
Military and Civilian Pyrotechnics
Toes?!!
--Charles Wilson Stern, a graduate of the Philadelphia 'College of Pharmacy, of the Class of '95, and, until about three weeks ago, a prescription clerk of Hudnut's pharmacy, 205 Broad way, was killed by an explosion of chemicals at
his home, in Spring Valley, N.J. at 11.30 o'clock, Wednesday morning, May 5, 1897.
William D. L. Wilkins owns a house and a small tract of land on what is known as the Spring Valley road. Wilkins is employed by Cammann & Co., brokers, 35 Broad Street. He and Stern kept bachelors' hall. What house work they did not do, was done by their one servant, Christopher Gavin, who is about 16 years old.
For some time, Stern had been engaged in the manufacture of what be called " Stern's Chinese flashlight powder.'' The powder was intended for the use of photographers in making flashlight photographs. For the manufacture of this powder, he fitted up a building, about fifteen feet west of the Wilkins house, as a laboratory. When be left Hudnut 's employ on account of being troubled with rheumatism fo his feet, he devoted all his time to the manufacture of this powder, from which he was confident he would make a fortune.0
On Wednesday morning Wilkins came to New York and Stern went to work in his laboratory. Shortly before ? o'clock young Gavin went into the laboratory to watch Stem at his work. The young chemist was mixing some powder on a marble slab, using an ordinary druggist's pestle to do the mixing. As young Gavin walked into the laboratory, Stern remarked "I tell you. Chris, I've got it at last. This is going to be the greatest ffashlight powder in the world. It's dangerous work handling it, but I won't have to do that long. It'll only be a short time before this thing'll make us all rich."
While he was speaking, the bells of the baker's wagon were heard, and Gavin left the laboratory to get the day's supply of bread. While he was putting the bread away, Gavin 'heard an explosion which shook the foundations of the house. It was accompanied by the sound of breaking glass, and followed by that of falling timbers.
Rushing out of the house, the boy found the laboratory in ruins, and asecond look discovered Stem lying among the debris, where the nor1h wall of the laboratory had been. He had been thrown clear across the building.
When Gavin reached Stem the latter was still alive, though he could not move and was totally blind. His right hand was nearly severed from the arm, the left hand was hanging in shreds of flesh, the toes on the right foot bad been blown off', the legs shockingly lacerated by broken glass, and the abdomen severely injured.
The Hackensack hospital was notified and an ambulance was sent. Just before be was lifted into the ambulance, Stern called young Gavin to him and said faintly :"I guess I won't get rich now, Chris. Send word to mother."
These were his last words. He died on the road to the hospital. The deceased was about 28 years old. He was a native of Smyrna, Del., from where his family, consisting of a mother and sister, recently moved to Philadelphia. The report of the explosion was beard in Hacken sack, three miles away. It broke nearly every window in the Wilkins house. The cause of the explosion can only be inferred. The ingredients of the powder he was grinding could not be learned, and probably were known only to him self. The conjecture is that, as in the case of many other explosions, grit, or some ffinty substance, had found its way into some one of the ingredients, and when this was ground under the pestle, heat enough was developed to cause the explosion.
Thus, pyrotechnics [energetic materials] cannot be regarded as
a harmless amusement and hobby for the amateur. Only if the
processor always acts under the assumption that his mixture can
spontaneously “go off” without discernible cause will he avoid
grievous injuries and damage. Unfortunately, the beginner will
often pass through an initial period of caution and anxiety
followed by an optimistic feeling of relaxation and subsequent
carelessness, culminating in an accident.
Herbert Ellern
Pyrotechnics 16 : 840
Kirk-Othmer
Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology
Second Edition 1968
The WiZard is in.
I have a SL of these stories.
bombs as the most hazardous in pyrotechnics
Herbert Ellern
Military and Civilian Pyrotechnics
Toes?!!
--Charles Wilson Stern, a graduate of the Philadelphia 'College of Pharmacy, of the Class of '95, and, until about three weeks ago, a prescription clerk of Hudnut's pharmacy, 205 Broad way, was killed by an explosion of chemicals at
his home, in Spring Valley, N.J. at 11.30 o'clock, Wednesday morning, May 5, 1897.
William D. L. Wilkins owns a house and a small tract of land on what is known as the Spring Valley road. Wilkins is employed by Cammann & Co., brokers, 35 Broad Street. He and Stern kept bachelors' hall. What house work they did not do, was done by their one servant, Christopher Gavin, who is about 16 years old.
For some time, Stern had been engaged in the manufacture of what be called " Stern's Chinese flashlight powder.'' The powder was intended for the use of photographers in making flashlight photographs. For the manufacture of this powder, he fitted up a building, about fifteen feet west of the Wilkins house, as a laboratory. When be left Hudnut 's employ on account of being troubled with rheumatism fo his feet, he devoted all his time to the manufacture of this powder, from which he was confident he would make a fortune.0
On Wednesday morning Wilkins came to New York and Stern went to work in his laboratory. Shortly before ? o'clock young Gavin went into the laboratory to watch Stem at his work. The young chemist was mixing some powder on a marble slab, using an ordinary druggist's pestle to do the mixing. As young Gavin walked into the laboratory, Stern remarked "I tell you. Chris, I've got it at last. This is going to be the greatest ffashlight powder in the world. It's dangerous work handling it, but I won't have to do that long. It'll only be a short time before this thing'll make us all rich."
While he was speaking, the bells of the baker's wagon were heard, and Gavin left the laboratory to get the day's supply of bread. While he was putting the bread away, Gavin 'heard an explosion which shook the foundations of the house. It was accompanied by the sound of breaking glass, and followed by that of falling timbers.
Rushing out of the house, the boy found the laboratory in ruins, and asecond look discovered Stem lying among the debris, where the nor1h wall of the laboratory had been. He had been thrown clear across the building.
When Gavin reached Stem the latter was still alive, though he could not move and was totally blind. His right hand was nearly severed from the arm, the left hand was hanging in shreds of flesh, the toes on the right foot bad been blown off', the legs shockingly lacerated by broken glass, and the abdomen severely injured.
The Hackensack hospital was notified and an ambulance was sent. Just before be was lifted into the ambulance, Stern called young Gavin to him and said faintly :"I guess I won't get rich now, Chris. Send word to mother."
These were his last words. He died on the road to the hospital. The deceased was about 28 years old. He was a native of Smyrna, Del., from where his family, consisting of a mother and sister, recently moved to Philadelphia. The report of the explosion was beard in Hacken sack, three miles away. It broke nearly every window in the Wilkins house. The cause of the explosion can only be inferred. The ingredients of the powder he was grinding could not be learned, and probably were known only to him self. The conjecture is that, as in the case of many other explosions, grit, or some ffinty substance, had found its way into some one of the ingredients, and when this was ground under the pestle, heat enough was developed to cause the explosion.
Thus, pyrotechnics [energetic materials] cannot be regarded as
a harmless amusement and hobby for the amateur. Only if the
processor always acts under the assumption that his mixture can
spontaneously “go off” without discernible cause will he avoid
grievous injuries and damage. Unfortunately, the beginner will
often pass through an initial period of caution and anxiety
followed by an optimistic feeling of relaxation and subsequent
carelessness, culminating in an accident.
Herbert Ellern
Pyrotechnics 16 : 840
Kirk-Othmer
Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology
Second Edition 1968
The WiZard is in.
I have a SL of these stories.