New Britain herald., 1917-04-10
DEAD AT TOMBSTONE
 BLASTS MAY RE 25O
Shrapnel Building Blows Up and
 Fire Adds to Horror
WOMEN AND GIRLS VICTIMS

Fifty Bodies in Chester, Pa., Morgue
 and Others in Adjacent Hospitals
 Ambulanccs, Police and Bremen
 Hasten to Scene From Philadelphia. explosion at the great plant of the Eddystone Ammunition corporation at Eddystone, Pa., a mile from this city is reported to have killed from 125 to 250 persons and injured at least 300 more. A railroad official asserts that nearly 300 were killed, but this estimate cannot be confirmed.
 There were two explosions shortly after 10 o'clock and in about ten min- utes a third occurred, heavier than either of the two preceding blasts. One building near the Delaware river front of the plant caught fire and was still burning at 11:15 a. m.
 The Chester Times reports that fifty persons were killed and many injured.
 The president of the Baldwin Loco- motive Works denies stories of death and injury.
 A portion of the plant is burning and fire companies went to the scene from Philadelphia and other cities. Ambulances hurried from Philadel- phia and police also were sent.
 A hospital at Ridley Park, near Eddystone, reports that four charred bodies and twelve injured persons have been received there. Three of the injured will die.
 According to a report, fifty bodies are in the Chester morgue and forty injured persons are in the Chester hospital.
 It was said that from 50 to 150 had been killed and about 200 injured.
 The fire was confined to the shrap- mel building in which it originated This building employs 300 men, wo- men and boys and girls.
 Greatest Confusion Prevails.
 The greatest confusion prevails, and no one is allowed to approach the plant in which the explosions occurred. The trolley lines to Eddy stone are not running because the wires were destroyed.
 Latest reports make the loss of life very heavy, between seventy-fiv and 15O being the last figures. The Chester morgue is filled with bodies and they are piled up on the sidewalk outside the building.
 It is stated the building in which the explosion occurred was used for mak- ing time fuses for shrapnel. The workers were mostly women and young girls.
 The first explosion originated in the structure known as the 1O-F build ing. Immediately there was another explosion in the old F. building, ad- joining. These two structures were destroyed.
 At p. m. firemen, police and others were still dragging bodies from the wreckage. Shells were found scat tered about the scene for a space of two blocks.
 3O,OOO Shells Blow Up.
 The explosion occurred soon after 1 o'clock in the pellet room of the shrapnel building where about 100 girls were employed putting the finishing touches on shells. In a building adjoining approximately 30,- 900 shells were stored. A second ex- plosion demolished this building and scattered the shells in every direction. Calls were sent for outside aid and physicians and policemen from sur rounding towns arrived in great numbers. The buildings in which the explosions occurred caught fire but by strenuous work the flames, which burned two hours, were confined to these structures. Meanwhile charred bodies were being pulled from the wreckage and injured persons were being picked up and taken to Chester. The two main hospitals of the city were soon filled and others injured were taken to the Fifth Regiment armory and a frame tabernacle re- gently erected here.
 No official of the company was found who could tell anything about the explosion.
 At the undertaking place of Coroner White there are eighty bodies, seventy-nine being those of girls. Thousands of girls were employed at the plant, most of them coming from Philadelphia, ten miles away.
 Working for Russian Government.
 New York, April 1O.-Information was received at the offices of the Mid- vale Steel company in this city that the explosions occurred in the powder department of the Eddystone Ammu- milton company. Many persons were reported to have been injured. The powder department was said to be on fire but no fear was felt that the flames would spread to other build ings.
 The Eddystone Ammunition com- pany is understood here to be a Rus sian corporation and is engaged in manufacturing and loading shells for the Russian government. At the Remington Arms office it was stated the Eddystone company originally was organized by the Bald- win Locomotive company but after