Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-10-01
Los ANGELES
TIMES BLOWN Up
What Appears Dastardly Out
rage Perpetrated by De-
praved Criminal
AT LEAST TWENTY ARE KILLED
Fight With Labor Unions Blamed
by the Management of
Newspaper.

| Los Angeles, Oct. 1.-The building
and plant of the Los Angeles Times,
one of the best known newspapers of
| the southwest, of which General Har-
rison Otis is the editor and principal
owner, was completely destroyed by
an explosion and fire shortly after
this morning, resulting in the death
of upwards of twenty of it's employees
and a financial loss of nearly half a
million dollars. The management
lays the blame of the explosion to
| the labor union, with which the paper
has long been engaged in bitter war.
fare. 1t is said that unidentified par
ties set off a charge of dynamite in
blind alley which ran into the CEN
ter of the building, wrecking the in
| terror and setting it afire from roof
TO basement. The force of the explo-
sion was terrific. 1t was heard for
miles and all windows in the vicinity
of the Times building at First street
and Broadway were shattered. Be-
tween fifty and seventy employees
were working at the time and until
the last can be checked it will be i'm.
possible to give the actual list of cas-,
ualties.
Police Without clews.
The heads of the paper, including
Assistant General Manager Harry
Chandler, had narrow escapes from
death. The building is equipped with
gas fittings and the force of the ex-
plosion tearing them to bits released
the gas which ignited in every part
OF the building. No other cause but
that of dynamite explosion, is ad-
Vanced by witnesses except in the case
of the Western Union telegraph op-
orator William Figman who stated he
detected gas throughout the building
earlier in the night and called atten-
ton to it. A few minutes after the
explosion the police arrested man
named Harry Plake, making his way
Through the Broadway tunnel. Anoth-
er man, William Irwin, was arrested
later. But the police are without
clews. Wesley Reeves, secretary to
Manager Chandler, is among the miss
ing. 1t is believed that he is dead
You can say for me,' said Mr..
Chandler, there is no doubt that this
terrible outrage can be laid at the
doors of labor unions. They have de-
stroyed the building and killed a
number of our men, but they can't
kill the Times. There is no doubt that
the explosion was caused by charge
Of dynamite placed apparently in a
little blind alley in the building. 1t
is true that the building is equipped
with gas but no gas explosion could
have caused it, For years we have
been receiving threatening letters
from people who said the paper ought
to be blown up
Times Issued Today.
Los Angeles, Calf, Oct. 1.-The
day issue of the Times was got out to-
day from the Herald plant and from
an auxiliary plant Of the Times in an
other part of the city. Mr.. Chandler
said that two years ago the Times had
established an auxiliary plant equip
| ping it with a press and twelve limo
type machines whith the expectation
that the present plant some day might
be destroyed.
Scenes of Horror.
Los Angeles, Oct. 1.-The dead and
missing come principally from the
composing room, which is directly
above the spot where the explosion
took place. A number of printers
and 4linotypers missing are believed
to be buried in the smoldering debris.
In the editors room all the editors
and reporters had gone home except
two or three men. Assistant City Ed
itor Harry Elder was still on duty.
When the explosion came, fame
shot up through all parts of the
building. Elder was badly stunned
but attempted to escape He ran to
the windows opening on Broadway.
No fire escape was there and mad
dened by the flames he jumped. Fire
men below held net but he missed
it and struck the pavement dying soon
afterwards. Night Editor Taggart
was at work in the composing room.
He leaped through the window and
made his way across roofs of adioin-
ing buildings safely. The entire force
OF telegraph editors and operators
was at work except Telegraph Editor
r. n. Whitney. Harry Crane, assist
ant editor, was seen attempting to
make his way out of the building. He
has not been found among the sur
VlVors. Several men were seen come
to the windows few moments after
the fire broke out to cry for help. Nets
were stretched and many jumped to
safety. Others were seen to fall
back into the flames. Foreman Grab
bill OF the composing room estimated
that 315 men were in the building. He
believed that twelve of his men were
killed and that the fatalities in the
other departments were about the
same number. About fifteen were at
work in the stereotyping department,
but it is believed that all of these
escaped. Eight women in the proof
reading room on the third floor also
escaped.
Labor Parade Called Off.
Los Angeles, Oct. Ashland, the
manager, Is authority for the state.
mauf that a fhroof - t,Io,., - AZ.