13 killed in electric power plant, statement of NT fire chief, article, transcription (Safety News and Comment, 1921)
Dublin Core
Title
Description
13 Killed in Electric Power Plant
THIRTEEN men were killed as the result of an explosion and fire in the distributing tower of the Niagara Falls Power Company in Robinson street, North Tonawanda, N. Y., shortly after 3 o'clock, a. m., October 31, 1920.
In a report to SAFETY ENGINEERING, the chief of the North Tonawanda fire department says:
“I am not in a position to give the exact cause of this accident. There seem to be different opinions, but it is quite probable that it was an oil cooled transformer. The power company was making extensive changes and selected this particular night to make some changes in connections. Calling in 13 men, including the superintendent, they rushed the work. Called Niagara Falls to turn the current on again. Noticing a peculiar sizzling noise, Mr. Allen ordered the current shut off, but before the operator reached the switches, which were in the tower where the explosion took place, the worst happened. When I arrived, after being called by telephone and street box at the same time, I found everyone helpless and 4 dead; the rest of them died the same day and the next night, except Mr. Derby, line superintendent of the Niagara Falls Power Company, who lived until Friday, Nov. 5.”
The fire chief’s report to SAFETY ENGINEERING of the resulting fire:
Oct. 31, 1920. North Tonawanda, N. Y. Distributing tower of Niagara Falls Power Company, corner of Robinson and Division streets. Electric power for factories, trolley company and municipal lighting. Two buildings partly damaged, 3-story and 1-story built together so one could pass into other. Walls, brick. Floors, cement, iron and wood. Roofs, wood and slate. Probable cause, small current transformer exploding, throwing oil in all directions. Discovered by man on street, who heard explosion at about 2:55 a. m. Alarm, telephone and street box No. 15. Duration of fire, 2 hours. Stopped in same building. Fire was retarded by brick walls. Firemen handicapped for about 10 minutes, until word could be sent to Niagara Falls to have power shut off.
Of course. Here's the transcription of the provided images:---
Private fire apparatus, none.
Persons in building, 13. Killed 13.
Means of escape, front and rear of building.
Value of building and contents, $500,000.
Property loss, $30,000.
---
The Buffalo Express in its issue of October 31 said:
The Tonawanda Power Company, North Tonawanda, has in course of completion a large addition to its transformer station in Robinson street, expecting to distribute a much larger block of power in the Tonawandas than at present. To take care of the new transformers installed in this addition, the Niagara Falls Power Company, which supplies power to the local company, had to install two new current measuring transformers in the electric tower adjoining the Tonawanda Power Company's plant on Robinson street.
These new transformers were placed yesterday and 3 o'clock this morning was set as the time for the shutting off of the Niagara Falls power in order to give the linemen an opportunity to connect the new transformers on the high tension lines. According to plans, the power was shut off at scheduled time and the employees of the Niagara Falls Power Company were there to make the connection. Albert S. Allen, general superintendent of the Tonawanda Power Company, was also on the scene to witness the cutting over of the lines. Employees of the Tonawanda Power Company, who were on the night shift, also watched the work.
The Falls company electric tower in Robinson street is a building about 20 feet square and 30 feet high. Nearly all of the high tension wires of the Falls Power Company enter this building and pass through it, some going on to Buffalo and others going into local plants. The two old current transformers in the tower were of 22,000 volts each, while the two new ones were of 45,000 volts each. The new transformers were installed on the south wall of the tower, about 15 feet from the floor. When the work was completed, the 13 men, 4 from the Tonawanda Power Company and 9 of the Niagara Falls Power Company's men, gathered in the tower to see the new transformers.
---
WHOLE ROOM IN FLAMES
The Falls current was turned on about 3 o'clock and for about five minutes everything went well with the new transformers. While the men were chatting and getting ready to leave the tower, an explosion occurred from one of the transformers and a great flash of electricity followed. The oil which one of the transformers contained spattered over the men in the small room and the electric spark set fire to the oil, the flames filling the entire room. The interior of the tower was wrecked and the transformer station. A new isolated machine which arrived at the transformer station yesterday was destroyed by the fire. The damage to the tower and transformer station is estimated at $30,000.
---
The same paper gave these additional particulars on November 1:
Persons connected with the Niagara Falls Power Company have expressed the opinion that the blowing out of the transformer yesterday was due to an overload of current. It is rumored that the company turned the full load of current onto the two new transformers and that the machines were not strong enough to carry the load. Officials said that the men should have only put a part load on the lines until the transformers were warmed up and in good working order. It was learned that the two machines had been tested out for 48 hours before they left the General Electric plant, where they were manufactured.
---