Avalon, Catalina Island, CA Rock Quarry Explosion, Nov 1934

7 KILLED IN CATALINA EXPLOSION.

900 CANS BLASTING POWDER ARE TOUCHED OFF IN CALIFORNIA.

AXE OF WORKMAN STRIKES COMBUSTIBLE; PLANE BRINGS MEDICS.

Avalon, Catalina Island, Cal., Nov. 12. -- (UP) -- Seven workmen were burned to death and one other injured seriously today in an explosion of 900 cans of blasting powder at a seashore rock quarry here.
The dead:
MARION PAUL, 23.
KENNETH ERNEST SMITH, 23.
ANGEL HERNANDEZ, 37.
HERMAN BERMUDAS, 37.
PETER HANSEN, 38.
MANUEL FLORES, 20.
RUSSELL LAUDERS, all of Avalon.
JOHN HALVERSON, suffered third degree burns.
PAUL was killed almost instantly when a spark, caused by a pick-axe striking a powder can, touched off the powder as the workmen were transferring it from cans to sacks for blasting purposes.
SMITH died in a hospital an hour later, and then one by one the others succumbed to the burns, despite the efforts of a corps of doctors and nurses rushed by plane from Wilmington, across the channel on the mainland.
The men were employed on the Rold-Connolly quarry.

Nevada State Journal Reno 1934-11-13
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!