The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-11
BLOW UP KILLS
112;INJURES121,
AT EDDYST0NE
Victims of Big MunitiOn
Plant Explosion Mostly
Women and Girls.
FIRE INCREASES HORROR
Two Plot Suspects Arrested
and discriminating Papers
Are Found.

CHESTER, Pa, April 10.-About H.
persons, most Of them women and girls,
are known to have lost their lives and
121 were injured by series Of terrific
explosions to-day in the shrapnel build
ing OF the Eddystone Ammunition Cor
poratioh at Eddystone, Pa. one mile
from this city. Many Of tho injured
were mortally hurt and IL Is feared the
final death list will reach $50. while
others probably will be manned for life.
How any Of the 800 or more employees
In the building. In which was stored ap-
proximately 10000 shells. escaped Is al
most beyond conception. as there was
scarcely a fragment OF the structure left
intact. Fire added to the horror and
most Of the bodies were so badly charred
that identification was impossible.
In the absence of any off1cial state
ment many theories as to the cause OF
the disaster. one Of the worst ever ex-
perienced in this section. were advanced.
Rumors of plots and arrests Of persons
both inside and outside Of the plant were
numerous. but all lacked confirmation.
Two suspects were arrested late to-
night III COUUeCtlOll with lic uiSooNSA.
The prisoners are Samuel Cohen, 20
years old, who gave an address in Ph!la-
delphia. and his father. who Is described
as being between so and 56 years old.
II Is said the older man was we'll sup
piled with money and that neither is an
American citizen.
officials asserted that papers found
on one OF the men were discriminating
and very important"
Shrapuel Placed Near Radiator.
Twenty Philadelphia detectives were
sent to Eddystone soon after the explo-
sion on a rumor that II was the result
Of a plot. After spending several hours
investigating they reported they had
learned from officials Of the corporation
who had made an investigation that n
quantity of shrapnel had been placed
near a radiator and the heat might
easily have exploded II. Their opinion
IL that the explosion was purely acci-
dental and they scout the suggestion that
It was the result OF plot. canvass
OF the police stations in the vicinity and
inquiries among officials Of the company
failed to reveal that any arrests had
been made.
An official of the corporation IN dis
cuss!ng the probable cause OF the explo-
sion declared that at no time did he be-
l.eve there was more than one-half
ton OF powder IN the building and that
this never was in bulk.
"The powder was kept in a magazine
on the banks OF the creek" this official
said, land was carried TO the building in
cans that hold about two gallons. From
these cans IL would be distributed TO the
workers who used gauges to fiil the
shrapnel shells So far as We have been
able to learn there were only three eS-
plosions Two OF these were compara-
lively light but the third was terrific. 30
powerful that boathouse $50 yards
away was demolished.
PhiIadeIphia Felt shock.
The explosion. which was felt in Ph!la-
delphia, n distance of fifteen miles. oc-
Cured about 10 o'clock In what is
known as the 40 F. building. two
story structure 80 by 900 feet. In this
building time fuses were prepared. more
than so per cent. Of the workers being
women and girls. Probably flfty men
and boys were employed In tho building
at the time Of the blast and the majority
Of them escaped.
Great excitement followed the explo-
| sion heavy pail OF smoke darkened
| the entire town, which has a population
| Of about 5000. This was soon lghtened
by the flames from the burning building
| Rescue squads composed Of other en-
p!oyees at the plant were quickly formed
| and a call for assistance was sent 70
Philadelphia, Chester. Wilmington and
other nearby points,
The entire Chester fre department re.
sponded and ambulances from Ph!ladel.
phia and Chester were soon at the scene
A strong guard OF Pennsylvania militia
men and cadets from tho Pennsylvania
Military Academy was thrown around
the plant and every one except those as.
s!st!ng in the rescue work was forbidden
to approach.
Bodies Quickly Recovered.
| Fifteen minutes after the explosion.
the bodies OF the dead and injured were
being carried out. They were placed ir
any conveyance that happened to be a
hand. Some were taken to the morgu,
and hospitals in grocers wagons. Will,
others were placed IN motor cars. Sew
eral bodies were fshed out of tn,
marshes 200 yards from the wrecked
building, and II ls feared that otheri
may have been blown into the river. stn
further away. All were badly mutilatet
and many were burned beyond recosni
tion.
Some Of the injured were temporaril,
cared for In buildings OF the ammunition
company, while scores of homes at Eddy
stone and nearby towns were throw,
open to others. At one residence in Rid
ley Park thirty-five persons were g!veI
attention. None OF them had been hurt
but were IN a state Of collapse from
shock and hyster!a.
There we're numerous instances O
hero!sin. In one OF these Capt. Waite
Wilhelm, vice-president Of the Eddyston
al, ~
Guardsman. dashed through smoke an,
flame into the wreckage no less than tel
times, each time carrying some one Z
safety.
Trolleys Tied Up for an Hour.
FOR a time there was confusion anon
tho rescue squads. who until a controllin
head took charge worked at cross Dur
poses. At first no one realized the ex
, tent Of the disaster. and when It's mag
-, nitude finally was seen tho calls for as
sistance so monopol!zed the telephon
lines that II was impossible to obtain an
Z information for some time. SO seriou
was the danger from exploding shra pns
considered that the trolley lines wer
tied UP for more than an hour.
III Throughout the afternoon and until
late hour tonight Chester presented
pathetic scene. Thousands Of friends an
relatives OF the victims were surgin
> through the streets In an effort TO loca,
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