The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-26
EXPLOSION WRECKS
DRY STARCH HOUSE;
SEVERAL ARE KILLED
Three to Twelve Are Esti-
mates of Number of
Dead-Fire Still
Burning

Waullegan, ILL.,. November 25.-An ex-
plosion which wrecked the dry starch
house of the Corn Products company S
plant this afternoon killed between three
and twelve workmen. injured twenty
seven others several of whom will die,
and caused about 100000 property dam
age.
Uncertainty as to tile number of dead
was caused by inability of firemen to
search the burning ruins because of con-
tinued minor explosions. Edward Conrad,
deputy in the Lake county coroner's Of
flee, was authority for the statement that
12 men at least had been trapped in the
wrecked building.
Charles Ebert. superintendent of the
Corn Products company's Waukegan
plan, said that only four men had been
killed and 81 injured by the explosions
"only 80 men had business in the starch
house at the time OF tho explosion said
Mr.. Ebert I'VE have q Of these al the
hospital and three bodies Or portions Of
bodies have been recovered. That checks
the list and this will be found TO be ABB
solutely correct think"
Mr.. Ebert admitted that It was possi-
Bile that additional worlsmen not employed
In the starch house might have been
caught in the explosion, but said this was
Improbable.
Nearly all of the workmen killed or
Injured were Polish, Lithuanian or Aus
trlan and they were on the eompanys
pay roll BY numbers and not by names,
This further Increased the difficulties met
by the coroner in his efforts to arrive at
a correct death list.
Top House in Fragments
The explosion tore the two-story frame
top house from the five-story building
and scattered bits OF 1t for so yards in all
directions The body of one man killed
was blown across the Chicago and North
western railroad right of way into the hill
side IN Oal<woods cemetery
All of tile injured were coated with
starch which had to be washed off before
surgeons could treat their injuries Prf-
vate automobiles were pressed into SER
vice TO carry the injured TO the hospital.
F'iremen from North Chicago. the Ma
tional Envelop companys plant and the
American steel and Wire company's plant
aided the Waukegan department in pre-
venting the spread of the fire TO other
portions of the big Corn Products plant.
Although the fire appeared to be under
control tonight, the firemon said they
expected it would continue to burn tomor-
row with the possibility that new ex-
plosions would start II afresh.
Officials of the company tonight said
they had been unable to arrive at II
decision as to the cause of the ex-
plosion. Workmen at the plant thought
1t was due to overheating of the prod
uct in the large starch kilns. An In
yestigation was begun tonight.
Volunteer nurses aided the regular
stan al the hospital where the injured
were cared for. Among the volunteers
We're a number of young society women
Of Waukegan
Martin Slater of Peoria. Ill. assistant
superintendent of the plant, was among
those killed. Slater was being trained
to take charge of the Corn Products
company new plant at Pekin, III.
Late tonight the known dead num-
bered eight and four were missing.