The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-15
EXPLOSIVE HAD GATHERED WHEN
 TROUBLE CAME
Lack of Permit Stops Con tractor From Removing
 It, Is Claim
ACCIDENT MIGHT
 DEVASTATE CEHIL
Work1nen Strike When They Receive Only Part Of
 Wages Alleged Due


 Following a strike among the Itcl- Ian labOrers upon the new high schoal building. the calling of Deputy sheEliE Antonio Abriola to the scene of tho trouble and the employment of many new men upon the work. it became known today that the sreaAast fear was felt by all concerned 1rsthe oparu- tions over a hidden supply Of .1A csssa of dynamite which had been secretsd upon the premises. Eourtean contain enough dynamite to destroy a large part of the bnstnean and raM- dent1al districts of the city.
 While 1t is customary to have n written permit from the depar6nnent of public works to do bAaat5ne vvork and but one or two cases Of lynsrnita are customar1ly stored within the city limits, 1t is said that the recent frns1- issuance of an fn5unctiaz1 eestraiufnr the sub-coutractoEs from zsen1o1l-lr their tools or materials has res6Itel ir the accumulation Of no 1ess than ~ eases of the high explosive which have been buried near the Wheeler estate stables on Congress street
 Although the su'D-contractors, Rob ertson & Giowannes originally took out a permit to blast for which they. post cd a bond of $500, it could not be learned at the director Of public works office that the present con tractors had conformed to the law.
 A prominent contractor, not fdentf- fled with the high school work thi5 morning stated to The Farmer, ehaA with experienced blasting crews there was no danger even if five or slss boxes of the explosive were brought upon the scene of a big baasting operEtion. but that with inexperienced men handling the stuff, or at the time Of a strike, grave danger existed. When asked if he considered fl cases Of the material dangerous. he ezpressed the greatest horror at the possfbfItfies or stored within two or three hundred feet of a high school containing be+ tween 500 and 700 scholars.
 It was said that each box of dyuo- mite contains 50 sticks. with an oz- pIosive power sufficient to raise 90 tons. The effect Of the explosion of two or more boxes, it. was saids WouAa be sufficient to demolish all buildlnSg within a radius of 800 Gest and to cause devastation within much greater radius.
 Henry Haas, s1perintendent for Durxin & Lass. was reluctant to speak upon the subject this morning but finally admitted that he had buried the boxes after a. vain attempt to o.b- tain their removal to some isolated n.agazine outside the city limits ELe expressed great apprehension that, what with the difficulties experienced with labor Saturday night and thla morning, and legal troubles between the contractors, some attempt to le- cure the dynamite might result in fatalities.
 TIe was of the belief that. under tl5o circumstances and with four feet or earth on top of the explosfve. it Wag safe unless some one disturbed fE Iu the immediate proximity of tho 'scache,n workmen were unsuspectluB- ly dumping brick. iron gfrders and window castings for use i'm the first floor
 About 50 men went upon strike Sat- urday night when they received raN- ment for their labor from DurlEin q Lass. They received one weeks wages, though they claimed that between two and three weeks wages for work done under Robertson & Giovanne were due them. They further alleged that thlE back-payment had ibeen guaranteed them by the present contractors.
 When the operations were begun to- day many of them were s1llzy and refused to go back upon the work Sheriff AbrioIa was called to the scene and explained to them that payment would be forthcoming. Only a few returned to work, new men being put in their place. No demonstration Wrag made but the men nuns sullS---9 around during the morning. They were warned that. they must not stare any trouble.
 Another section of the foundation wall on the high school, about 100 feet on the easterly side was today con- dernned by order of Inspector Nichols as being two feet too high When fmasons began to lay the blue~stone coping, transit lines showed that tho foundation wall was over-built and demolishnent at once began until ie was according to Specifications.
 The .Jevv vort departmehk Of v