Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-12-01
POWDER EXPLOSION
DEEP MYSTERY
Continued From First Page. ]

ITOm 9C.J
nothing would be left undone to deter
mine the cause of the explosion, stated
that they were without a thread on
which to base their hopes that its
origin ever will be ascertained.
Every Precaution Taken
Charles b. Lands, an official of the
Du Pont Company. gave out a state
ment to-day in which he said that
every precaution had been taken to
protect the Du Pont plants and that
these precautions had been redoubled
with the receipt of war orders. Our
policing SYSTEM" he added. lis under
the direction of Major Richard w.
Sylvester, former chief of police of
Washington, and he is in charge of
the company's secret service.
Every means will be exhausted in
an attempt to solve and explain this
explosion, but at present we are with
out single thread on which to hang
our hopes that its origina ever will he
ascertained. The whole thing is an
absolute mystery. Not a man is liv-
ing who was in or even near the pack
ing house when the accident occurred
and we seem TO be without the means
of even starting an investigation"
Warnings on Trees
Reports that notices had been found
nailed to trees and fences leading TO
the Du Pont plants at Upper Hagley
and at Carney's Point warming en-
ployes of Teutonic origin that they
would imperil their lives by continu-
ing to work at either place were re-
ceiVing the attention of the big force
of detectives working on the case to-
day. These reports were discredted
by the investigators and officials of the
company alike but in order to leave no
stone unturned it was decided to run
reports had gained considerable circu-
lation several days ago the company
made thorough investigation but de-
clared they had found absolutely
nothing to substantiate them.
Men accustomed to travel the roads
in the vicinity of the plants were said
to have seen the notices upon several
occasions but stated they had remain
ed in position for only few hours at
time. The notices, according to one
OF these men, read as follows:
Americans who lost their lives with
the sinking of the Lusitania did so
after due warning. All men of Teu-
tonic origin are hereby warned that If
they continue in the employment of
the Du Pont Powder Company they
VIII do so at their peril and will be
taking their lives in their hands"
Spark From shoe
The theory that is most widely cred
tied is that the explosion was caused
by spark from a horses shoe strik-
ing stone or piece of metal or from
spark caused by small car running
over some powder that had been spill
ed in the yard. Workmen in the yards
said that just before the explosion oc-
CURED a car containing several thou
sand pounds of black powder had been
drawn by two horses along a narrow
gauge track to the entrance of the
packing house to be prepared for
shipment Some Of the powder It was
said may have dropped from the car
and either horses shoe or the wheel
of the car could easily have ignited it
and caused a flash to reach the pow-
der in the car exploding it and the
powder in the house.
Most of those who lost their lives
were under 20 years of age, and with
the exception of Allan Thaxter, whose
home was in Portland. Me-, all lived
in or near this city. The force of the
explosion was so great that the vic
Tins bodies were torn into shreds and
scattered in every direction. making
positive Identification impossible. The
list of killed was compiled from the