Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-11-17
explosion said the ExaMi.ser

explosion said the Exaaiisser on
hat fatal n Jrnins
There were a NUMBER of
theorie BY those .amili..l with
the geography of tie Times build
ing to account forTfhe ex1iosion
In add. ton to FIJI dec ..ation
that the b..ilding had beef dyna-
mited, there was tlt. thejiy ths'
the explosion came from ~ igni-S
ton of the stock 0f ink, is, and
other highly inflamrs sDie 1nd ex
plosive materials Used II the
printing aud kindred processes.
They were kept il the aliey SCI
paarting the tall Times building
from ne main str, ctufe ems The
corner This was known byasOme
of those familiar with the build.
ing as Ink Alley There was also
the report nat the explosion had
been caused by gas which several
in the building smelled during the
/ evening
The theory has been adva, ced that
= dynamite explO sion occurred near
!; gas M IN, broke the gas main and
hereby caused an e. plosionF of gas
which filed the building. But gas
does not xpt de until It is mixed with
air. Gas ignjted FROM a Die ken gas
main burns rs a gas Jet burns; there
Is no explosion. The ~as m \, ESCAPE
and disseminate into the surrounding
atmosphere and the be EXPLODED.
But this coui not have been the case
IN the Tunes disaster. since fire and
he explosion were ST. ultarAous.
teAA
Truth About Gas Leak?
Gas could not have enteret: into the
Times disaster unless the gas had al
ready escaped and was diffused more
or less throughout the buildA 6 This
must have been the case, foe the sud
den enveloping Of the entire building
in flames cannot be accounted for in
any other way. The only tenable
theory SO far advanced is that leaks
in the Times building let loose SO
much gas that, by coming in contact
with an open fire-such as lighted
match or the fires of tie printing de-
partment-ther was a disastrous eX-
plosion.
It may be imagined that gas will not
explode when it is not so strong as
to cause suffocation. This is a mis-
take An example in point is that of
the Tucson saloon which was totally
destroyed in 1894. All night the poker
games went on Gas was smelled, but
it was not strong enough to stop the
games. The saloon was lighted by
electricity. Just befor dawn the
games broke up and the saloon was
closed. A few minutes later the day
bartender arrived. He entered, light
ed a candle, and an explosion followed
which entirely wrecked the building.
There are two powerful reasons why
General Otis, knowing the disaster to
have been the result of accident,
might insist that the cause was dyma-
mite, and attempt to fasten the guilt
upon members of labor organizations.
Monstrous as it appears, the past rec
ord of General Otis proves him cap
able of such crime.
First, he would strik blow at
unionism.
Second, he would be acting in self
defense.
Supposing it were shown that the
Times building was destroyed by an
explosion of gas, which ordinary care
would have prevented, in what posi-
ton would that place Gneral Otis?
| He would be unable to collect in
surance. He would be liable for tens
of thousands Of dollars damages for
the death of his employees. He would
be in danger Of prosecution for Grim
inal carelessness. Public opinion
would turn violently against him. He
would lose his commanding influence
in the business world of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles would be unionized. Otis
life dream would be shattered.
These are the apparent reasons why
Otis is charging that dynamite was
used and that union members were
the dynamiters. a.
We have said that General Otis is
capable of the monstrous crime Of
insisting that the cause Of the Times