Community Corner

This Day in Port Jeff History: Accident at an Ice Plant

An accident with ammonia at a plant in Port Jefferson wounded two men in 1902.

On June 7, 1902, L. H. Davis who owned an ice plant in Port Jefferson was severly burned by ammonia along with an assistant, Edward Terrell, when they were taking apart a pump.

The New York Times reported on the accident the next day saying that Terrell might “lose the sight of one eye.” Davis also had his eye burned but also got some of the ammonia into his mouth, burning his tongue.

Read the entire story on the New York Times website here.

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According to a description of the L. H. Davis Ice Plant written by Port Jefferson village hisorian Ken Brady on the historical section of the village website, the plant was located along the waterfront on the north side of East Broadway, west of the third Bayles chandlery. The photo of the ice plant was taken by Arthur S. Greene sometime in the early 20th century and is from the Kenneth Brady Collection.

See more historial photos of Port Jefferson on the Port Jefferson village website here.

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