The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-04-28

big fire of 1899, says he saw at
least a score of buildings blown up
with 40 per cent dynamite, and not
a single building set on fire from
the detonation. 1t was current ru-
NOR on the streets of Los Angeles
Immediately after the explosion that
employees of the Times had COM
planned of gas fumes in the building
for days previous.
Here is an affidavit made of his
own free will by linotype operator
who was working in the building
when the explosion took place Read
it and see if it sounds like dynamite:
"F'or several months prior to and
on the morning of October /, 1910,
| was employed as a linotype operator
on the Los Angeles Daily Times, in
its office in the building at First
street and Broadway, Los Angeles
California. That | was at work in
said Times office until l o'clock on
|
that time l went to the copy desk for
take and returned to my machine
laid down the copy and was ad-
justing my stick in my machine when
1 heard sizzling noise like sky
rocket when it leaves the ground. |
looked up and saw a flash of red
flame streaked in different shades
directly in front of the copy desk
The red column had the shape of a
huge sheaf of wheat. Instantly it
struck the ceiling and the center of
the column of flame went UP
through the ceiling. The sides
seemed to spread in a mass of red
flame over the room, accompanied by
little smoke. l ran over to the ele-
vator shaft at the northwest end of
the building to see if the street door
was open, and finding it closed ran
to the window between No. 5 and 6
machine and jumped to the street.
Another man jumping from the same
window fell on me, which caused in
juries in addition to burns and
shock.
(Signed) E. B. ASPINWALL."
This same printer has been a miner
off and on for many years, and has
exploded. hundreds of pounds of dy-
Mantle. He has gone into tunnels,
says the Los Angeles Citizen, after
explosions and noticed the effects of
discharge of dynamite. According
to his experience, dynamite, immedi-
ately after being exploded, causes a
thick, black, heavy smoke, which
gradually turns gray. 1t is never ac-
companied by any flame and will put
out any fire. AS proof of this, he
remembers that when he worked for
B. Clark Wheeler, editor of the Aspen
tColorado) Times, he (Wheler) sent
a miner for six sticks of dynamite,
which the supply man from whom
they were purchased wrapped in a
sheet of manila paper Some of the
nitro-gycerine sweated through the
sticks into the wrapping paper. Mr.
Wheeler took this paper and care
lessly threw it into a stove that was
used for heating his office. Instant
| ly an explosion followed, which sent
the stove lid through the ceiling and
/ PUT OUT THE FIRE, LEAVING
ONLY ASHES AND THE HALF
CONSUMED LUMPS OF COAL. He
asserts that he is convinced, because
of his knowledge of dynamite and its
action, that the flames he saw in
the Times composing room on the
morning of October 1 were not the
result of a dynamite explosion, but
must have been caused by illuminat-
ing gas or gasoline.
Hampered as the investigating
committee of the federation was in
its efforts to get at the truths
through actual inspection of the ruins
Immediately after the disaster, its
final report and summing up of the
evidence submitted by the dynamite
adherents and its exhaustive review
of the comparative effects of gas and
dynamite. left but little room for
doubt that gas and not dynamite was
the cause of the explosion.
Why should Otis attempt to fasten
upon men monstrous crime when
there was a reasonable doubt as to
their guilt? Perhaps that can best
be answered by quoting again from
the report of the Federation commit
tee:
There are two powerful reasons
why General Otis, knowing the dis
aster to have been the result of an
accident, might insist that the cause
was dynamite. and attempt to fas-
ten the guilt upon members of labor
organizations. Monstrous as it APP
pears, the past record OF General Otis
proves him capable of such a crime.
Continued on Page Threel