Omaha daily bee., 1917-07-10
POWDER HOUSE
AT MARE ISLAND
YARDS BL0WNUP
Early Reports Say Eight Mer
Killed and Great Numbers
Wounded; Shock Felt
Forty Miles Away.
(By Associated Pressh

| SduSe OF the explosion IN Mare
Island navy yard store house, off,
cials said this afternoon that they
believed it was due to a plot. In
vestigation has been started along
these lines, it was said.
Six Persons Killed.
Vallejo, July 9.--Six persons are
known to have been killed by an explo-
sion which wrecked two store houses
at the Mare island navy yard today
and at least thirty-one persons were
injured.
Fire which started from the explo-
sion and for a time threatened to
spread to the magazine proper was
extinguished. No estimate of the ex-
tent OF the property damage has been
made.
Buildings on various parts of the
island were damaged and in some in
stances roofs were lifted. The build
lngs demolished are understood to
have been used for the storage of
loaded shells of large caliber.
The damage in Vallejo was ex-
tensive windows being shattered and
doors as far as two miles from the
scene of the explosion twisted from
their hinges.
In the meantime no one is allowed
to leave the island and only those
having official business with the Navy
department are allowed to land at the
yard.
Names Of the Dead.
An official announcement OF the
dead resulting from the explosion OF
the Mare. island navy yard at .z:56
this morning was given out this after
noon and included the following
names:
ALLAN n. MCKENZIE, a chief gunner.
MRS. MCKENZIE.
DOROTHY McKENzIE. IL, their daughter.
MILDRED MCKENZIE, 8, their daughter,
GEORGE STANTON, a gardner.
c. NJ. DAMsTEADT. a civilian empIoye
OF ordnance department.
Two Store Houses Destroyed.
San Francisco, July 9.-Two store
houses at the Mare island navy yard
on San Francisco bay were destroyed
by an explosion this morning.
Twelve or fifteen magazines were
badly damaged by the explosion, the
force of which broke thousands of
windows in Vallejo, about half mile
away.
Fire started in the wrecked build
ings and desperate efforts were made |
to prevent its spread to other build !
lngs where explosives are stored.
Barracks Are Wrecked.
Several buildings used as sleeping
quarters for detachments of gunners
were wrecked. Whether any men were
in the buildings is not known.
Naval officials at Vallejo said about
200 men were employed in, or near the
wrecked, but whether these
men had reported for work at the
time of the explosion was not known.
The explosion occurred at 7:44 a. m.
The conclusion was terrific and con-
siderable damage is reported from
Vallejo, this being confined principal
y to window glass.
At the Southern Pacific freight
house in Vallejo. about two miles
from the scene of the explosion, the
doors of the buildings were torn from
heir hinges.
Santa Rosa, about forty miles
northwest of Mare island, reported
that the explosion was felt there.
Residents thought it was an earth
quake.
Men Hurt Two Miles Away.
The first injured to be reported
we're three men on the Southern Pa.
cihc ferry boat El Captain, which
operates between South Vallejo and
Vallejo Junction. The ferryboat was
n the stream, about two miles from
he scene of the explosion, and was
damaged considerably, all the VIM
lows and doors Of the boat being
blown out.
The injured: Lieutenant c. Bird,
United States marine corps; D. w.
Pasadena, and J. D. Soule, a
,arpenter. These men suffered from
hock and were cut from flying glass
Their injuries are not serious.