Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-26

Then members of the probe jury aues-
toned him.
DESCRIBES EXPLOSION DETAILS
captain Wilhelm said that the last warm
ing he received came from a private de-
tective agency employed by the Eddystone
corporation, on Washngton's Birthday, He
went on by saying:
The first explosion did not sound like
shrapnel. Three seconds later another en-
pioslon followed, then a third and more
shrapnel ~
Inc reason that am sure the first ex-
piosion was not the shrapnel is because
there was no loud noise. II was more like
nash that enveloped the building This
rs rs What leads me to believe that the trou-
pie started in the box where the pellet
SUCKS are stored in the pellet room A fire
starting In the pellet box would result In
an explosion that would resemble a flash"
TRAIL OF FIRE IMPORTANT
captain Wilhelm under examination said
that he thought the flames passed under
neath the fire doors between the pellet room
and the vibrating room. This belief he as
serted, Is substantiated by the investigation
conducted by the plant. This trail of fire
passing under the door would account for
the two other explosions that followed so
rapidly. He said that the uncs pped shells
lying on the pellet tables where the girl
employees were located would, under the heat
OF heavy flame, explode almost instantly.
captain Wilhelm went on to relate that
there was but little loose powder in the
building at the time of the explosion and
that he did not believe that the ignition of
this powder would have caused such
catastrophe as resulted.
THE steel filings found in the shells, four
or five days before the explosion said
Captain. Wilhelm were discovered by an
inspector who in turn notified the foreman
OF the building and probe was COM
menced.
DESCRIBES "F'' BUILDING
Albert r. Granger a member of the Jury.
then asked Captain Wilhelm to ii in
detail the working plan of the old "F"
building, in which the disaster occurred.
While explaining the arrangements Cap
tain Wilhelm said that there were about
forty or fifty uncapped shells .ying on the
tables in front of each girl who wort ed
in the pellet room. He admitted that it
was possible that these shells would L've
exploded almost instantly and shattered
the brick walt that separated the pellet
room from the shaking room.
The witness remained firm in his belief
however. that the flames spread under the
door and thus reached the shaking tables
where the more violent explosion must
have happened. but he was forced to ad-
nit under examination that the brick wall
must have been destroyed by the explosion
Further examination directed by Mr..
Granger brought out in the testimony of
Captain Wilhelm that there were hardly
enough pellets in the box to have created
flame that could have spread forty feet
from the pellet box to the fire door.
GIRL TESTIFIES ON POINT
Iurther testimony about the matches
found in the pellet room of the old 'F"'
building the day before the tragedy, was
given by siXteen-year-old Anna Louise
Kennedy, of 937 Springfield avenue, Darby.
who was working in the pellet room when
the explosion came.
A girl named Nellie found the match,
Miss Kennedy said in box of broken pel-
let's. early in the morning The broken
pellets in which it was found were piled
up by the workers themselves. subsequent
to the starting of work that day. This
testimony gave the impression that the
atch was placed there after the factory
hands in the pellet room began work in
the morning. The match was whole.
"Nelle Just looked down and saw" Anna
Kennedy explained. The girl said she saw
Russian inspector in the pellet room at
the time ofthe explosion.
The next witness was Margaret r. Smith,
of 2Ol3 Madison street, Chester, wrapper
employed in the old IF" building. She
said there was rumbling sound coming
from the direction of the loading room, fol-
lowed by flames that burned her clothing.
terrific explosion came next and hurled
her out of the building. She testified she
was positive the trouble did not start in
the pellet yoom where the girls were en-
ployed.
SUPERINTENDENT ON STAND
Augustine w. Welsh, of Ridley Park, the
srnerintendent of the entire "F" building,
told the jury that he was several hundred