The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-10-20
WEXFORD MuNITI0N
PLANT ExPL0DEs

| Injured-One of the Greatest Indus
trial Disasters in Ireland's History
NO Evidence as to cause-May
Have Been Caused by Submarine
Shot.
The explosion at Wexford Thursday,
rOct. II, was felt for considerable
distance, and demolished houses in
the vicinity. Many of the victims were
blown to atoms, and owing to official
reticence, it is difficult yet to estimate
the extent of the calamity which has
brought mourning into many an Irish
home, for the workers came from sew
eral parts of the country.
The four houses were blown up
simultaneously as by the one explosion
This is all the more remarkable as
they we're situated at distance of about
so yards from each other and, so to
speak, formed the three corners of a
square. All are agreed that there was
only one explosion, ard not a series
of three or four, as first rumored. In
a moment the four structures were
heaped in ruins, the appalling feature
of the calamity being that the piles
of debris contained masses of mangled
humanity, as there were about ten oc-
cupants of each house at the time, it
being the night shift, in addition to
about a dozen others engaged in the
immediate vicinity. At the ordinary
day work as many as 5000 people are
employed in the various sections of
the factory.
The number Of dead and missing in
the Irish explosive factory disaster
is now given as %; the injured as
Id or Is. A verdict of accidental death
was returned by the Coroner's jury
on Saturday, and sympathy was ex-
pressed with the relatives, while a
rider asked that the State should con-
tribute to the aid of the dependents.
and missing were given out by the
Coroner:
Thomas Breslin, Myles Byrne, T.
Grove, James Chase, Thomas Connel-
ly, Denis Cullen, James Cullen, James
Curry, J. Grove, Patrick DAILY, Thomas
Doyle, T. Doyle, Michael Dunno,
Charles Ellis, Laurence Garland, ].
Hogan, Thomas Jordan. w. Keogh,
NJ. Kinsella, j. Kavanagh, Patrick Ma
her.. Felix O'Neil, John Priestley,
Thomas Sweeney, William Roche,
Patrick Reilly, James Ruth, Thomas
Ward
The injured removed to hospital
Ii<,Jo
Andrew Donohoe, Wilfred Haverty,
Patrick Hennessey, Martin StanS-
ard. Joseph Quigley.
Relatives and friends crowded the
large hall in which the inquest was
held. Two of the directors were pres
ent, as well as Major-Cooper-Ke Mr..
O'Connor, solr., appeared for the fac
tory proprietors, and M. j. Dryer,
solr., and G. r. Fleming, solr., repre-
sented some of the next-ofkin.
Only Ten Identified.
The District Inspector of Police said
only 10 bodies could be identified, as
the remainder we're mutilated beyond
recognition VIM. Heaney, factory la
borer, identified.
Chas. Ellis, Patk Daily, James
Grove, Michael Kinsella, John Priest
ley, Thomas Jordan, Thos. Doyle,
James Curry and VIM. Roche.
He said that every precaution for
safety had been taken, and the men
never had any complaint. r. Craig
told OF being on duty and seeing
very bright light from land, such as
shown by ship in distress firing
rocket, and in about four seconds after
The explosion occurred. and, so far
as he knew, it was al accident.
In reply to the Coroner. he said
he saw no light or flash from the sea-
He was about 500 yards away.
G, w. Harvey, captain OF a patrol
boat, also saw the blaze and heard
the explosion, but said no shot was
fired from the sea; while Fred Chesh-
ire, coastguard, said there was only
one explosion.
The manager said he inspected the
works daily, ard everything was nor
NAL at $3.50 p. m. on Thursday. In
each of two houses there were eight
men, and in the third, seven, DOGGY
runners connecting the houses. The
three were completely blown away,
and all the occupants killed except
two.
The Match Danger.
In the fourth house, practically de-
stroyed, all escaped; but one Curry
since died in hospital. The terms of
the Home Office license were strictly
observed, witness said in reply to the
Chief Inspector, and no men could
possibly take in matches in danger
building unless he took them in in
tentionally, as all were searched at
the gate. They had trouble with re-
gard to smoking and carrying matches,
but it was as a rule with people wear
ing their own clothing, and not con-
nected with danger building.
Lying awake at the time, witness
said he heard a Kissing or tearing