Morning journal and courier., 1888-12-12
eTHxRs IN FAVOR or ADMISSION.
THE MEAL DUST EXPLOSION.


 Statement by a witness Who Was
 she only SurvivOr-The Min Ovvner's OpInlen.
 CHIAcGo, Dec. 11.-Investigation of the cause of the explosion in the oatmeal mill of David Oliver on North Halsted street at two o'clock this morning confirms the first report that the disaster WIS not owing to conspir- acy to blow up the building, but was the re- suit of an explosion of oatmeal dust. Of the three men at work in the blaming mill next door only one, John Holmes, escaped with his life. He says he was at the mill stones on the first floor examining the -four as it came out, when the explosion occurred. It seem- cd to start below him, tearing up the floor, throwing him upward and rendering him un- conscious. When he came to he began to crawl about in the wreck of timbers and beams, but was unable to find an exit until the fire had gained such headway that he WAS severely burned. His belief was that the boilers had exploded until he was informed that snsh was not the ease. He is not inclined to the opinion that the flour dust was respon- eible and intimates that he has another the ory of the cause. What this is he declines to make known at present.
 STATEMENT OF AN EYEWITNESS.
 A street car had just passed on Halstead street when the explosion occurred, and one of the passengers who happened to be look ing directly at the mill at that moment de- scribss the explosion and accords with the theory that the explosion was of mill dust. He says: ''I was. looking at the mill, when suddenly the entire building seemed to be filled with the broad glare of light. never saw anything like it before in my life, and have witnessed great many fires From roof to cellar the building WAS one blaze of fire, which Was followed immediately by a loud rumbiing noise that seemed to shake the very earth from under our feet. This was followed by what appeared to be second explosion, and then the bricks and machin- cry began to fly through the air."
 IT WAS NOT A CONSPIRACY. The out-meal trust has many enemies among the firms not in the combine and it was insinuated that these parties might have had something to do with the explosion. The only man known to have opposed the trust in Chicago is J. H. Druley, the propri- etor of the Kensington oatmeal mills, which were burned down about 1.-two weeks ago. Mr. Druley was seen by reporter He said: know absolutely nothing about the cause of | the fire, put have my suspicious. see by the accounts in the papers that the fire is attributed to an explosion of meal-dust. | Now have had . great deal of experience | in that line and l know that 1t is next to inn possible for the dust to explode in the man. l ner indicated. In my mill I was greatly ! troubled with the dust and I experimented with the stuff and tried to set it a-6re, but il \ would not burn. Therefore, have come tc \ the conclusion that the trust will have to look elsewhere for the cause of the fire. Tc
 lay the matter against the enemies of tht trust is nonsense"
 | OTHER OPINIONS.
 Officials of the fire department and mos
 other persons competent to judge are of thu opinion that mill dust Is responsible for th,
 explosion. Mir. Oliver himself, however l affirmed when asked about the matter tha | the duet of the mill was never left around il quantities sufficient to create any such hayo and he was not sure that rneal-dust would ex plode, even though it were left aroand. man named Nicholas Anton, friend of tn
 engineer, was at the mill last night and as h has not been seen since it is believed that h. is in the ruiue making four victims.