The Washington herald., 1917-04-11
i116 Known Dead in Blast
In Eddystone Arms Plant
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

packed and completed for delivery to the
beIligerents. The structure houses about
800 men and Is women, the latter being
employed IN the loading room, where the
greater loss of life resulted from today 5
disaster. Here the powder pellets are
placed in the shells, the powder packed
down upon them. and the shells stenciIed
and sealed and packed for delivery.
Ninety Girls mt Work.
Inspector Greenko stated that yesterday
there were twenty long cases. each con-
tanning 400 OF these powder pellets.
awaiting the labors of the women and
girls. In addition. he said. a great num-
her OF shells had been finished and stored
fer shipment.
Ninety girls were at work at the load
ing room, he estimated. while about
thirty-nve others were busy in an ad-
joining room to the north.
William A. Dreyer fixes the time of the
major explosion at $50 o'clock He had
Just finished checking up the list of the
day force. There came a low rumble,
the building shivered. and then came
one gigantic boom"
Instantly the structure was engulfed in
flames and hundreds Of men and women
were hold helpless prisoners. They were
carried down in the ruins when the build
ing collapsed under the force Of the ex-
sion. Exploding shrapnel shells filled the
air with q rain Of lead pellets. and vic
tins were slain by these as though they
had fallen in battle. Many of the dead
were blown to pieces. while others.
stunned by the explosion. were burned
to death in the flames that ate up the
structure in an incredibly short space of
time.
Fifty windows which furnished the
light for the Isolated loading building
proved the savior of at least sixty men
and women. At the first rumble of the
approaching explosion. dozens dashed for
these exits So precarious was their race
that the flames ignited their clothing as
they dived through the windows.
Hurled Through Windows.
Women, ablaze from head to foot. were
hurled by the force of the explosion
through the windows or tossed high in
the air to fall hfeless. Dozens OF Others
their clothing in flames. were rescued
by the workmen of the other plants. who
rolled them in the snow that still re-
rlained on the river banks near the site
Of the ruined structure. The fences In
the rear Of the building were blown to
bits. This saved many lives. 1t afforded
men a chance TO dive INTO the river with
their clothing af1re. At least twenty
lives were saved by these measures.
Not a timber Of the structure remained
standing ten minutes after the explosion.
The fire completed the destruction of that
part of the plant which had been spared
by the explosion. The fire departments
Of Chester and Eddystone arrived soon.
Capt. Morey Assists.
, When the State militiamen arrived.
they found that order had been brought
out Of chaos. The armed guards OF the
. plants who had been on duty all night
were relieved by the militiamen, who In
turn were aided by the cadets of the
Pennsylvania MiIitars- Academy at Chest
eF. under command of their instructor
Capt. Lewis g. Morey. U. s. A, the hero
OF Carrizal. Capt Morey offered his pupil
soldiers to substitute for the guards. and
the youngsters were accepted.
Meanwhile, every vehicle was com
mandeered for service in taking dead and
wounded from the scene.
While vast majority of those injured
were burned there were others who had
been shot and who carried one, two. and
even three shrapnel balls in their bodies.
Those who escaped death were powder
bIackened and bullet torn, while great
burns covered their faces, hands, arms
and legs.