The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-01-12
twelve MILLION
DOLLAR Loss
Fire in Munitions Factory
Gave Surrounding Country
Appearance Of Having
Been Bombarded.
EXPLOSIVES NOT FIRED
Had Tone Of Stuff Been Exploded. tho
Damage Done In the Vicinity
Might Have Been Hor-
pibie Amount
EXPLOSIVES NOT FIRED

limited Press Leased Wire Service.1
JERSEY CITY. N. j., Jan. Fin
termittent explosions, caused by
bursting of stray shells, could SILL
be heard early today in the wreckag
OF the plant Of the Canadian Car and
Foundry company, destroyed late yes
terday with q loss estimated at $l2.-
100000.
Stored in two concrete buildings,
as yet undamaged, were tons OF pr1ny-
trololul. the most powerful OF e4-
plosives used In making high power
shells.
Had this been reached by the fire
which swept the plant, untold damage
would have resulted. Danger OF the
powerful explosive letting 80 now is
believed to have passed.
The loss was declared by Mayor
Arthur Clay, of Kings1and. to be
about $4,000. 900. He said this f.S.
ure had been given him by company
official.
The town Of Kingsland and the
suyrounding country today bore every
mark 0f having been thf0agh = tess
rifle bombardment
some houses showed gaping holes.
through which the cold wind whfstled.
Roofs OF others we're perforated.
Windows were out. The hard rock
road near the big munitions plant
was pitted with shell holes. any one
OF which was big enough to bury
dog in. The Delaware and Lackn-
wannar railroad tracks were torn up
for a distance of two miles. Rails
were twisted and ties blown out OF
place.
Early reports that a number OF
men were killed. proved to be er-
roneous. Later reports showed six
teen men missing, but Mayor Clay de-
clared all had been accounted for.
With the checking up of company en-
ployes, it is now apparent only two
were injured. Michael Winsh was
struck by train and killed as he
fled under rain of shells from the
scene.
Herman Bicktre was struck by q
shell. His back was broken.
But for the fact that fuses had not
vet been attached to the high ex-
plosive shells, the property damage
in the vicinity of the plant would
have been much heavier and the loss
Of life would probably have been
great. The shrapnel shells exploded,
scattering bullets broadcast The
high power shells merely shot up in
the air, however, and fell without
exploding. They would have done
heavy damage had they let go.
Upwards OF 800 men, women aud
children were cared for by the author
tiles OF Jersey City and other sur
rounding towns last night. All were
routed from their homes at Kingsland
Immediately the fire and explosions
started. Some slept in school houses,
others in private homes and many
women were cared for at hospitals.
Throughout last night a red glare
lighted the sky of the Jersey shore.
Up to midnight great puffs OF smoke
followed by terrific explosions told OF
new patches of shells that were let
ting go.
In all about five hundred thousand
shells were destroyed. They were
the last OF an $S3, 3,0G0,000 order the Car
and Foundry Co, had taken from the
Russian government. The last shells
completing the order would have been
finished this week. The shells which
bombarded Kingland and surrounding
territory were about half shrapnel and
half Of high explosive type.
Mayor Clay, of Kingsland, the coun-
ty authorities and officials Of the COM
rany started an investigation today.
clay declared it had been veritably es-
tabiished that 1ire and subsequent ex-
f(,nntfnued on page ~