Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 12-28-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–10 Assoc. Press. “10 Persons Die in Explosion.” The Titusville Herald, PA. 6-10-1933, p. 1.

–10 NFPA. “Atlantic Pyroxylin Waste Co. Fire. NFPA Quarterly, V. 27, No. 1, July 1933, 81.

— 9 Chester Times (PA). “9 Known Dead in N.J. Blast,” June 10, 1933, p. 1.

— 9 Time. “Catastrophe: Celluloid Factory.” 6-19-1933. Accessed 12-28-2024.

Narrative Information

National Fire Protection Association: “Ten persons lost their lives and approximately one hundred others were burned when fire wrecked the plant of the Atlantic Pyroxylin Waste Company at North Arlington, N. J., shortly after 9:12 P.M. on June 9, 1933. The initial flames were followed by a ‘puff’ or ‘blast’ of fire, due to the ignition of accumulated combustible gases which forced out both ends of the building. The factory building was completely gutted and adjacent buildings were severely damaged.

“The Atlantic Pyroxylin Waste Company bought pyroxylin scrap from various manufacturing plants, and girls sorted it and graded it for resale to pyroxylin manufacturers and lacquer plants. The scrap was received and stored in wooden boxes and barrels. These containers were piled indiscriminately and in part of the building as high as the eave lines. The plant was congested and aisle spaces were inadequate. It has been estimated that there was about 15 tons of scrap in the building at the time of the fire.

“The main plant consisted of a one-story concrete block, single area building, 80 ft. x 50 ft., with a small boiler room cut off by fire-resistive partitions. The building had a low peaked joisted roof on wood timber trusses with a clear span between the side walls. There were no skylights or ventilators.

“The building was equipped with an automatic sprinkler system with 64 heads in the room where the fire started. There was some obstruction to distribution due to high piled boxes and barrels. An alarm valve was connected to local bells. The water supply to sprinklers was through a 6-inch connection from a 6-inch street main with a static pressure available of 90 lbs.

“On the west side (river side) of River Road was a one-story frame shed, 20 ft. x 20 ft., used for the storage of pyroxylin shavings and excess scrap. This building was not sprinklered.

“This fire is primarily chargeable to an excessive amount of pyroxylin scrap in the building, stored in violation of the recognized safe methods recommended by the N.F.P.A. Committee on Hazardous Chemicals and Explosives for the storage and handling of this material.

“Story of the Fire. Operations in the plant had stopped for the day at 5 P.M. and no one is known to have been in the plant subsequent to that time. The day had been extremely hot with the thermometer around 100° F. and high humidity.

“Along the river near the plant are small bathing beaches which were well populated on this day by local people seeking relief from the heat.

“The fire was discovered at about 9:12 P.M., when flames were noticed shooting up through the roof. There were no vents in the roof, and the fire apparently burned for a short time until the accumulated gases built up sufficient pressure to force out both ends of the building. This “puff” or “blast” of flames and gases set fire to several exposures and resulted in loss of life to seven persons in near-by or adjacent dwellings. The burning pyroxylin gave out intense heat within a radius of approximately 350 feet, and nine buildings, including a gas station, several garages and a number of dwellings, were more or less damaged. Two of the dwellings were very nearly a total loss.

“All of the sprinklers in the building opened, and while they could not have been expected to control a fire in such a large quantity of exposed and improperly stored pyroxylin material, it is apparent that they must have helped considerably. This is evidenced by the fact that some of the pyroxylin material was not consumed and many of the wooden containers were hardly scorched. The sprinklers continued to operate until the fire was extinguished and were a material factor in preventing further loss after the pyroxylin material had burned out.

“The original blast of flames from the main building was quickly followed by another from the small storage building across River Road adjacent to the beach. It was this second “puff,” with its accompanying cloud of hot gases, that endangered the bathers and precipitated a panic. The intense heat forced swimmers and non-swimmers alike into deep water, and the fact that only two were drowned reflects credit to those who assisted in the many rescues.

“Of the ten persons who were burned to death, seven were in, or adjacent to, near-by dwellings and the remainder on the river front. It is fortunate that the burst of flame occurred at a time when travel on River Road was relatively light. Otherwise the loss of life might have been more severe. There were a considerable number of people on the bathing beach and it was here that most of the injuries occurred. But for the metal building between the beach and the pyroxylin waste plant the loss of life would doubtless have been more severe. As it was, there were thirty or more people very seriously burned, and the total number who applied for major treatment was 83. Many others received minor burns.

“When the fire started, the mother and father of the Appleyard family in the residence adjoining the plant were in the house. In the back yard was their married daughter with two children. When the first flash occurred those outside ran for safety, but the daughter almost immediately ran back into the house in an attempt to save her 2:’,-year-old baby. The intense heat and flames enveloped the house and those within had no opportunity to escape. The mother, father, married daughter and baby were trapped and died. A child who was in the back yard was so badly burned that it died later. In a dwelling across Hawthorne Avenue two women, who were on the front porch at the time of the fire, were burned to death and a man was severely burned. On the beach one woman is known to have been fatally burned, and two other persons were drowned.

“At the time of writing this report the exact cause of the fire has not been determined. There seem to be two possible causes—incendiarism or spontaneous ignition. In regard to incendiarism, there had been rumors that competition was rather keen between this firm and others and that threats had been made to stop the business. An investigation of this possible cause is being made by the police.

“In considering spontaneous ignition as a possible cause it should be borne in mind that the scrap material must have been well seasoned, as it had been worked in some other mill before it became scrap. There was, however, one unusual feature. For two days the heat had been intense and temperature was around 100° F., indicating a possibility that decomposition might have started in some of the scrap, which had been swept up from floors and may have contained oily waste or other material which might have heated up and started the fire.” (NFPA. “Atlantic Pyroxylin Waste Co. Fire. NFPA Quarterly, V. 27, No. 1, July 1933, pp. 81-85.)

Newspapers

June 9, AP: “By The Associated Press. North Arlington, N.J., June 9, – An explosion in the Atlantic Pyroxylin Waste company building tonight wrecked the plant and storehouse, set fire to six homes and a garage within a radius of 150 feet and caused the deaths of ten persons and injuries to many others. The exact number of dead and injured could not immediately be learned. Many of the injured, police said, received first aid treatment on the scene and were allowed to go home. Others were taken to the West Hudson hospital, Kearny.

“None of the dead were identified at once. Police expressed the belief still others might by lying dead in the houses ruined by flames.

“An alarm brought fire companies from nearby towns and an emergency call was also sent to Newark, the nearest large city, for medical aid.

“The factory was a cement block affair and the company, headed by Joseph A. Klitch, dealt in scrap celluloid, which was sold to large companies.

“Many of the injured included men, women and children who had been bathing in the Passaic river from a small beach near the factory.

“The cause of the explosion could not immediately be determined. Eye-witnesses said the roof of the small one-and-a-half story plant suddenly lifted and huge jets of flames spurted out through doors and windows, blown away by the blast.

“Other reports indicated the bathers and the houses in the vicinity were spattered with burning celluloid thrown out by the explosion.

“Telephone and electric wires were torn down, lights were extinguished in houses nearby and for a while the neighborhood was in great confusion.” (Associated Press. “10 Persons Die in Explosion.” The Titusville Herald, PA. 6-10-1933, p. 1.)

June 10: “North Arlington, N. J., June 10 – (UP) – An explosion in the celluloid reclaiming plant of the American Pyroxylin Waste Company, which showered flaming bits of celluloid over several hundred bathers in the Passaic River and over a residential section, left a toll of nine known dead and 175 persons injured today.

”Fire destroyed the plant. The cause of the blast was not known. Flaming particles shot upward with terrific force to a height of about 500 feet, according to witnesses, then mushroomed and showered down in a radius of 250 feet. Four nearby dwellings caught fire and burned to the ground, three others were badly damaged by fire, and a garage was destroyed….

“The Klitch and Dale families were burned to death in their homes. Mrs. Latone was drowned after her clothes caught fire as she was watching her children swim. She leaped into the river. Her body was recovered. Scores of persons were treated for burns at the scene by ambulance surgeons and druggists.” (Chester Times (PA). “9 Known Dead in N.J. Blast,” June 10, 1933, 1)

Sources

Associated Press. “10 Persons Die in Explosion.” The Titusville Herald, PA. 6-10-1933, p. 1. Accessed 12-28-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/titusville-herald-jun-10-1933-p-1/

Chester Times, PA. “9 Known Dead in N.J. Blast,” June 10, 1933, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=95340827

National Fire Protection Association. “Atlantic Pyroxylin Waste Co. Fire., Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 27, No. 1, July 1933, pp. 81-85.

Time. “Catastrophe: Celluloid Factory.” 6-19-1933. Accessed 12-28-2024 at: https://time.com/archive/6780254/catastrophe-celluloid-factory/

1933 – June 9, fire and explosion, Atlantic Pyroxylin Waste Co., North Arlington, NJ– 9-10