Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-12
DYNAMITE BLAST
IN SHELL PLANT
ROCKS COUNTRY
Fifteen Thousand Tons Ex.
plode in Munitions Factory
Over Intervals of More
Than Two Hours.
LIVES ARE REPORTED LOST
In Canadian Car and Foundry
Works Producing NUM-
tions for Allies.
ONE OF BIGGEST ANYWHER

Newly ork, Jan. ll.-Reports reach
ed here also that a number of lives
had been lost Flying shrapnel had
injured many: Rescue squads it was
said. were unable to reach the scene,
and inhabitants continued to flee from
the vicinity.
The Canadian car and foundry plant
is one OF the largest in the east and
its buildings cover several acres. 1t
has been working night and day on
war orders for the British govern
ment
New York. Jan. ia two hours
OF tremendous explosions on the mu-
nitions plant of the Canadian Car and
Foundry company at Lyndhurst, N. J.,
this afternoon, created panic
throughout the countryside and
caused thousands to flee to safety. AT
e o'clock this evening, the explosion
was still going on, sounding like the
roar of heavy artillery. A great fire
was raging in the plant which covers
several acres.
Telephone communication with the
vicinity was impossible at this time
and it could not be learned whether
any lives had been lost The en-
ployes were reported, however, to
have escaped in time.
1t was said $4,000 tons of dynamite
had exploded
At $50 o'clock the explosions had
not yet ceased A great blaze illumin-
ated the sky. Roads in all directions
we're reported to be blocked with flee
ing persons.
Half frozen workmen from the plant
reached Jersey City after a perilous
trip over the Hackensack meadows
which was their only escape. They
said they feared some of their fell
low workmen had lost their lives, but
had no definite information. Flames
from a small explosion in one part of
the plant spread with amazing rapid
ity, they said.
Rocks Prison Building.
flames J. Kelly, warden Of the Snake
hill penitentiary about one mile from
the scene Of the explosion, said at
GAS o'clock tonight that the detona-
tions were as violent as they had been
an hour before
The prison building, which contains
PIG prisoners, was being severely
shaken, he said, and he felt alarmed
for its safety. All the glass in the
prison windows had been broken.
The prisoners were badly fright
encd but were behaving we'll. Ar
rangements were being made to re-
move them should the detonations
last much longer.
Between 200 and 300 employees Of
the plant who fed to escape the ex-
plosions are reported to have broken
through the ice in Berry creek and
it is feared some of them have beef
drowned. Other are wandering
through-the Hackensack meadows,
lost in the darkness, and fugitives
said some of them might perish from
the cold
Many Are Drowned.
The plight of those who tried to
cross the frozen creek and met with
disaster was related to DR.. George w.
ikng, superintendent of the Hudson
county hospital for the insane, by
Israel Williams, a workman at the
plant, who arrived at the asylum, hat
less. coatlcSS and almost frozen.
The man said that many must have
been drowned in the creek and that
others, too weak to continue their
flight, had dropped from exhaustion
i'll the meadows.
Describes Conf1agraiton.
Warden Kelly gave vivid dcscrip-
ton of the conhagration, of which he
lad all excellent view from the peni-
tcntiary. He said the burning area