THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2013
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p.m. on the 20th. And John Pracher, 36, of William St., East Orange, also found alive on the 19th, survived at the hospital until the night of Aug. 28, finally succumbing to burns and internal injuries. Investigators at the scene included not only the Kearny police but detectives from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the federal Bureau of Mines (we don’t know why) and the FBI, which had seven agents on site within 90 minutes. Their concern was the plant’s involvement in the war effort. Schillon’s report notes, “We also went in among the crowds at the scene both in the yard of the plant and in the immediate vicinity trying to learn something of value pertaining to the explosion, and we also kept on the alert for suspicious persons.” As far as local law enforcement is aware, only one person was taken into custody. At 6:30 p.m., the police 2013 OFFSITE Kearny Obs collaredFall Czeslaw Leonard
Kacperowski, 27, of Highland Ave., Kearny, who was taking pictures of the scene, in violation of a national wartime prohibition against unauthorized photography at any industrial plant manufacturing war material. Kacperowski, questioned by police and the FBI at KPD headquarters, gave a signed statement explaining that photography was his hobby and he had simply grabbed his camera when he heard the blast, saw the smoke and joined the people running in that direction. He was fingerprinted and released without charges, but the FBI confiscated his camera and film. The KPD still has the receipt. But, as Wilgus commented, “We have no idea what happened to him.” This is because the FBI took over the entire Congoleum case, and the feds have never reported back to the KPD on what, if anything, was the resolution. Which is why all this information is still on file at HQ. Plus, “we can never get rid of any record that involves deaths,” 5.95x6.5.pdf 1 8/15/13 2:21 PM Wilgus explained.
Congoleum-Nairn hired its own investigator, Dr. Harold Brown, an expert on explosives who was formerly with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition to heat-drying the camo netting, The Sun reported, other workers in the demolished “stove building” were manufacturing linoleum [for battleships]. Along with The Sun, AP said the cause of the blast was thought to be caused by cork and linoleum dust and noted that toxic gases generated by burning cork, linoleum and shellac had overcome several firefighters. Brown’s official finding? He thought it began on the stove floor and “was caused by a concentration of explosive vapors ignited by a spark of unknown origin.” Succinct but hardly conclusive. Rumors of possible sabotage remained, fueled by the fact that a number of other war-material plants had been the scene of similar disasters. The FBI had also been called in on Sept. 12, 1940, more than a year before
Pearl Harbor, to investigate a munitions plant explosion that killed 51 people in Kenvil, N.J. During the war, explosions also rocked war-related factories in such places as Burlington, Iowa (one in December 1941, one in March ‘42); Versailles, Pa. (May ‘42); Stockton, Calif. (June ‘42); Coalmont, Ind. (November ‘42); Marcus Hook, Pa. (August ‘44). There were likely others. Wilgus told us that some World War II records held in Washington had been sealed for 100 years. We do not know if the CongoleumNairn disaster is among those. If it isn’t, we (and the KPD) would be interested
in learning what the FBI’s official findings were. Was there a conclusive resolution as to the cause? Were there any arrests or was the determination that the explosion was accidental? Last week, The Observer contacted the FBI’s Newark office, provided the names of all the federal agents who had been involved in the case and asked for any available information. We have been told that our query was forwarded to agency’s media office and history department in Washington. And we must file a FOIL (Freedom of Information Law), request which shall be done. If we learn anything, we will tell you.
FALL 2013
Hudson County Community College at Kearny High School
ATTENTION: KEARNY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
& COMMUNITY RESIDENTS • Enroll in College courses • Earn College Credits • Conveniently located in the evenings at Kearny High School
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