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Show PREPARATIONS BEGUN FOR REBUILDING THE DESTROYED RONTON CHEMISTRY PLANT Isaac Palmer, master mechanic of the Columbia Steel corporation; Alfred Richans, 690 N. Fifth West street, and Martin Kimber, 671 E. Fifth North street, all of whom were injured at the explosion in the chemistry and laboratory building at the Ironton plant Saturday evening, are gradually improving, according to reports given out at the Aird hospital. hos-pital. None of the men were fatally injured. Supt. C. T. Keigley of the by-products coke oven plant, and Darrell Yancey, who were also slightly injured in the explosion, are able to be back to work again. Preparations were begun early Sunday morning for the reconstruction of the chemistry building. Workmen were busy all day Sunday and Monday clearing up the debris of the explosion and getting the site in condition so that the erection of the building may be commenced immediately. It is understood that masons will be building the walls within a day or two. Orders for the new laboratory equipment have already been sent to Salt Lake City, Chicago and New York. During the construction of the new chemistry building the necessary tests for the operation of the plant will be made in one of the other buildings at the plant. The force of the explosion was so severe that there was nothing left of the $S,000 brick chemistry building build-ing but the concrete foundation. All ' of the apparatus and the equipment ; of the laboratory, said to have been ! valued at more than $20,000, were destroyed. The entire building was lifted from the foundation, the walls and the roof thrown a distance of more than 50 feet. Windows in adjoining buildings more than 100 yards distant dis-tant were shattered. Bricks and other missiles hurled in the air by the explosion struck the five , men who were near the building and caused their injuries. The explosion took place after the men working in the laboratory had left for the day and the building had been locked up. Although the cause of the accident may never be definitely known, it is believed by ; company officials that an open gas ' jet had permitted gas to escape in I the building. According to some of those injured a fire had started in the laboratory about 5 :30 o'clock Saturday evening. They rushed to the building to assist in extinguishing the blaze hut found the door locked. While they were ' standing on the porch, the explosion ' blew up the buildim?. . The fire burned for a long time in the wood and flammable material until the Provo fire department was called to the scene by Sheriff J. D. Boyd. The injured men rushed to the Aird hospital where Drs. II. G. Merrill, Mer-rill, L. W. Oakes, J. W. Aird and Arnold E. Robison bandaged the injuries. in-juries. For a time It was feared that G. Von Plank, head chemist at the plant, was in the building at the time of the explosion. These fears were allayed, however, when he was ; located at his home. I The destruction of the chemistry ! building will not interfere with the activities which have already begun i at the plant, according to officials of the company. It may delay the i beginning of the blast rurnace, while j the operations of the by-products coke oven will continue as hereto-j hereto-j fore. ' Orders for new equipment to re-I re-I place that destroyed were made i Monday by Mr. Von Planck. It is expected that the new equipment j will be here about the time the new j building is completed. The accident will not delay the steel day celebration to be held June 7, according to E. S. Hinckley, Hinck-ley, chairman of the executive committee com-mittee of the celebration. |