1967 — Feb 17, Starch Dust Explosion, Fire, International Latex Corp., Hawthorne, NJ– 11
— 11 Hawthorne, N.J. Volunteer Fire Department. “Morningstar Paisley Fire,” 2-4-2012.
— 11 NFPA. “Bimonthly Fire Record,” Fire Journal, Vol. 61, No. 5, Sep 1967, p. 47.
— 11 NFPA. “The Major Fires of 1967,” Fire Journal, Vol. 62, No. 3, May 1968, p. 6.
Narrative Information
NFPA: “Feb. 17, 1967, Hawthorne, N.J. A starch dust explosion in a roaster is suspected of triggering a second, more violent, dust explosion. The force of the second explosion demolished the building, and the explosion and the ensuing fire severely damaged seven other interconnected buildings of various types of construction…The only sprinklered building in the group was the building in which the explosion occurred. Eleven persons were trapped and killed in the explosion….” (NFPA. “Bimonthly Fire Record,” Fire Journal, Vol. 61, No. 5, Sep 1967, p. 47.)
NFPA: “Eleven persons perished in Hawthorne, New Jersey, on February 17 when a starch dust explosion in a roaster triggered a violent dust explosion that destroyed the building of origin. The ensuing fire heavily damaged or destroyed seven other interconnected buildings. The building of fire origin and one other building were sprinklered, but the force of the explosion ruptured the sprinkler piping, greatly reducing the effectiveness of the sprinklers. The large quantities of water required to control the fire in the other buildings further reduced the effectiveness of the automatic sprinklers. A masonry fire wall between the two sprinklered buildings was opened up by the force of the explosion….” (NFPA. “The Major Fires of 1967.” Fire Journal, V 62, N3, May 1968, p. 6.)
Newspapers
Feb 17: “Hawthorne, N.J. (AP) – A series of explosions followed by fire destroyed a three-story chemical plant here today….The scene of the blast at 11:40 a.m. was the Morningstar Paisley Division of International Latex Corp. which manufactures paper and textile coatings and glue. The explosion collapsed the block-square building and knocked down a nearby railroad siding. Flames rose 100 feet in the air, and smoke billowed in a mushroom cloud over the scene. Residents in 20 nearby homes were evacuated. A taxi driver near the scene said there was one large explosion followed by a series of smaller ones.” (Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. “Chemical explosions injure 7.” 2-17-1967, p. 1, col. 1.)
Feb 18: “Hawthorne, N.J. (UPI) — Rescue workers bulldozed through tons of twisted girders and shattered brickwork today searching for victims of a series of fiery explosions that ripped apart a chemical complex, presumably killing 11 persons trapped beneath the tangled wreckage. Disaster crews, which worked through the night by the glare of floodlights, recovered three bodies early today from the debris…The three, originally listed as missing, were identified as Gus Tilstra of Paterson, Thomas Carrol of Clifton and L. R. Robinson
of Hawthorne….
“Half of the 16 persons injured in the tragedy were hospitalized today, several in serious condition.
“Standing in sub-freezing cold through most of the night while 150 rescuers picked through the smoldering ruins, Mayor Louis Bay II said the victims faced ‘certain cremation’ when the explosions ripped through the plant….
“The enormity of the ruins made recovery operations difficult.
“The plant manufactured preservatives for foodstuffs and adhesive materials.
“The first explosion thundered through a three-story building in the block-long, L-shaped complex. Other blasts followed and the raging flames swept the rest of the plant, which included an attached one-story structure and a separate one-story building.
“What touched off the explosions was a mystery. ‘We are completely puzzled by this,’ said Max Feller, executive in the firm’s New York City office. ‘The most explosive thing we manufacture are food preservatives made from ground starch. How inflammable is starch?’” (Michelini/UPI. “11 presumed dead after plant explodes.” Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY, 2-18-1967, p. 1.)
Feb 20: “Hawthorne, N.J. (AP) — Three bodies were recovered from the rubble of a chemical slant today bringing the toll of known dead in last Friday’s explosion to seven. They were discovered in debris near a portion of the…plant where a railroad car had been blown off the tracks of an adjacent siding. Two of the bodies were burned beyond immediate recognition. The seventh body was identified as that of Lawrence Wesley of Paterson. About 50 volunteers and police and firemen have been sifting the rubble since the explosion.” (Associated Press. “Known Toll Hits 7 in New Jersey Plant Explosion.” Charleston Daily Mail, WV, 2-20-1967, p. 26.)
Feb 21: “Hawthorne, N.J. (AP) — An eighth body was removed from the wreckage of a Chemical plant yesterday as an investigation into last Friday’s explosion and fire began.
“Police said the body was charred and maimed beyond recognition….
“A probe into the cause of the explosion presided over by the state labor and industrial department, is under way. Morrill Cole, an attorney for the plant, the Morningstar Paisley Division of International Latex Corp., described the investigation as a means to set future health and safety standards in New Jersey.” (As. Press. “Another Body Found,” Lowell Sun, MA, 2-21-1967, p79.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Another Body Found,” Lowell Sun, MA, 2-21-1967, p. 79. Accessed 5-16-2015 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/massachusetts/lowell/lowell-sun/1967/02-21/page-79?tag=hawthorne+explosion&rtserp=tags/hawthorne-explosion?psb=dateasc&page=3&pci=7&ndt=bd&pd=20&pe=28&pem=2&py=1967&pm=2&pey=1967
Associated Press. “Known Toll Hits 7 in New Jersey Plant Explosion.” Charleston Daily Mail, WV, 2-20-1967, p. 26, col. 4. Accessed 5-16-2015 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/west-virginia/charleston/charleston-daily-mail/1967/02-20/page-26?tag=hawthorne+explosion&rtserp=tags/hawthorne-explosion?pci=7&ndt=bd&pd=20&pm=2&py=1967&pe=28&pem=2&pey=1967&psb=dateasc
Hawthorne, N.J. Volunteer Fire Department. “Morningstar Paisley Fire,” 2-4-2012. Accessed 5-16-2015 at: http://www.hawthornefire.org/fullstory.php?155386
Michelini, Alex J. (UPI). “11 presumed dead after plant explodes.” Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY, 2-18-1967, p. 1. Accessed 5-16-2015 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-herald-journal/1967/02-18/page-2?tag=hawthorne+explosion&rtserp=tags/hawthorne-explosion?psi=67&pci=7&ndt=bd&pd=17&pm=2&py=1967&pe=28&pem=2&pey=1967&psb=dateasc
National Fire Protection Association. “Bimonthly Fire Record,” Fire Journal, Vol. 61, No. 5, Sep 1967, pp. 47-50.
National Fire Protection Association. “The Major Fires of 1967.” Fire Journal, Vol. 62, No. 3, May 1968, pp. 5-7.
Syracuse Herald-Journal, NY. “Chemical explosions injure 7.” 2-17-1967, p. 1, col. 1. Accessed 5-16-2015 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-herald-journal/1967/02-17/page-2?tag=hawthorne+explosion&rtserp=tags/hawthorne-explosion?psi=67&pci=7&ndt=bd&pd=17&pm=2&py=1967&pe=28&pem=2&pey=1967&psb=dateasc