Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-11

nearly impossible for any one TO carry
bomb or time fuse arrangement into the
works because of the scrutiny OF the
guards Every package taken into the plant
is examined. A suspicious bulge about the
clothing of any employe entering the works
would cause the guards to pull him out OF
line and put him through thorough
search.
"a man bent on destruction regardless
of the cost to himself, could readily ac-
complish some terrible results. 1t is ex-
tremely difficult to guard against men
such as these, although the slightest sus-
pcious move on the part of an employe is
reported to the office Immediately. the
action theh is swift The man Is Ques-
toned and searched. If nothing develops
from these methods he is discharged on
general principles"
GERMANS EMPLOYED
George Dwyer said today that evidence
of intentional destruction is too strong to
be denied He survived the concussion.
For one thing" Dwyer said, there was
little attempt to protect the plant from
Germans and Austrians who might he dan
gerous. Many men of these nationalities
were employed.
II have seen so much carelessness on the
part of workmen that did not produce ac-
Cidents that | feel match must have
been touched off to the plant to make 1t
go up In other words, ] don't think the
explosion could have come by chance"
Then Dwyer added a sentence that is
heard all sides from survivors able to
articulate.
THE explosion came from the outside,
not the inside of the building
A Philadelphia physician who questioned
nearly all the survivors and turned in
report to the Eddystone concern. said
"All Of the women and many of the men
agree that the explosion came from the
outside"
Those are views expressed many hours
after the blasts, when the excitement and
panic have cleared away. It Is agreed by
workmen of the plant that the place where
the explosion occurred is exactly the place
that plotter would have chosen. Only in
the shrapnel house could great havoc be
wrought by simple means
Assistant District Attorney William Tay-
lor, Of Media, said that no Grand Jury in
vestigation could be made at this time
The next Grand Jury will be empaneled in
june he explained. The District Attor-
ncy's office has not yet instituted a probe
In the main, those who do not say or hint
that they believe in the plot theory are nom
committal.
The constant hazard of ammunition maxi
ing is held by some to indicate that fate was
behind the tragedy. Others declare that it
would be very much to the interest of the
Eddystones company to have the plot idea
accepted as true. on the ground that IL
would absolve the corporation Of negli.
gence.
All suspects arrested yesterday in and
near the ammunition plant have been re-
leased, according to officials of the company
They were questioned as to their where
abouts at the time of the explosion and
gave satisfactory accounts of their doings
1t was said that at present it is improbable
that the guard will be further augmented
Such action might he taHap 1atn
intimated
TO PAY CLAIMS SPEEDILY
Speedy adjustment by the Eddystone Cor
poration of compensation claims arising
from yesterdays disaster was promised to-
day in a statement issued by William /.
Shaffer. general counsel for the company.
The statement follows:
The Eddystone Ammunition Corpor-
alton desires to meet the situation
growing out of compensation claims
for dead and injured in yesterdays dis.
aster in the broadest and most liberal
spirit. To this end. ! have taken up
with Harry A Mackey. the chairman
of the Workmen's Compensation Board
working out the quickest and most
equitable adjustments of these claims.
Mr.. Mackey. with his usual prompt
grasp of important situations, has
brushed all red tape aside and is COM
ing TO Chester personally TO meet me
tomorrow CThursda) to formulate a
plan to take care of all these claims.
In order to systematic and work out
satisfactory results, all persons having
lawful compensation claims should
make this fact known e"hnr :" i"
Gesry or ]. Borton Weeks, who win
be associated with me IA IN. ,.I. .,.-.-
ment of the calims.
FINANCES PROVIDED
The entire finances of Chester were
placed at the command of Mayor Mellow
ell by resolution passed by the City Coun-
Gil at special meeting this morning This
money is to be used to help the needy fam
lilies of the victims and to defray the fu-
neral expenses Of the unidentified dead.
The resolution specifically placed the
finances of the city at the disposal of the
Chester division of the Committee on Pub
lie Safety, Of which Mayor Mcdowell is
chairman. The money is available imme-
diately
Another resolution passed instructed
A r. Granger, chairman of the Public
Safety Committee on Motors and Motor
| trucks to ascertain the capacity of every
truck and motor vehicle in the b ty. These
will be listed and given numbers, SO that
in case of an emergency such as YES
terday's catastrophe. there will note be the
difficulty experienced as was the case then,
when many of them We're held up going
through the guard lines.
The work Of listing the machines was
started this afternoon.
One arrest made today was that of Frank