O'Connor Plating Works disaster

On 20 February 1947, a large accidental explosion at the O'Connor Plating Works at 926 East Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles killed seventeen people and injured more than one hundred.[1][2] Eleven nearby buildings were damaged beyond repair. Press reports mentioned a twenty-five-foot crater.[3]

The explosion was caused by the improper handling of perchloric acid, which the plant was using as an experimental method for polishing aluminum. On the day of the accident, the cooling unit required to store perchloric acid safely was not working. A vessel of 130 gallons of the chemical was boiling and may have ignited when a plastic rack was lowered into it.[4]

Dick Lane, a Los Angeles television announcer, was working for the experimental television station W6XYZ located nearby and quickly began broadcasting from the disaster site. Two days later, the station was licensed for commercial operation as KTLA-TV.[4]

See also

References
  1. Hill, Gladwin (21 February 1947). "EXPLOSION KILLS 15 IN LOS ANGELES, INJURES OVER 100; Destroys Electroplating Plant and Smashes Near-by Area With Thunderous Violence". New York Times. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  2. "Explosion Spotlights Ghetto Housing". Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  3. "Five Negroes Killed in City's Worst Blast". Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  4. Rasmussen, Cecilia. "Deadly Blast a Proving Ground for Live TV". Los Angeles Fire Department. Retrieved 17 May 2020.

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