The Washington herald., 1917-04-11
final TOLL MAY
Be AROUND $50
AT EDDYSTONE
Authorities Divided as to
Cause Of Explosion IN
Munitions Plant.
SUSPECT NCENDIARISM
Austrian. Seen Running From Factory
Following Blast. Arrested-Horrify-
ing Scenes as Gih Workers Die.

CBy the International News serviee-D
Philadelphia. April Ia-one hundred and
sixteen munitions wOrkers-the majority
women and girls-are known TO have per
ished today in a mysterious explosion
which wrecked the shrapnel loading build
ing Of the Eddystone CPa) Ammunition
Company. owned by the Baldwin Locomo-
tive Works. Eleven OF the dead have
been identified. Scores OF others are
missing, and il is believed that the nnaI
death toll will be 10 or more.
Six hundred and twenty-five persons
were in the structure when the explosion
occurred. OF this number moro than go
were injured, many Of them fatally.
Rumors were rife as to the cause of
the explosion, but Alba B. johnson, presi-
dent of the Baldwin Locomotive Works,
insisted that il could be traced only to
an accident or csrelessness on the part
OF persons within the building. He
ridiculed any idea OF German plotters,
saying that 200 armed guards picket the
plant day and night and that no pIotter
could have had access to the building
without the knowledge Of Capt waltsr
Wilhelm, the general manager and vice
president Of the munitions company.
See Flare of Flames,
Basil Greenko. the inspector for ths
Ruf sian government, who was In the
building at the time Of the explostou.
declared that prior to the explosion he
say fare Of dsme from room at thS
A1orth. which held no powder. Thesa
tongues Of fire, which slipped under ths
door, preceded the detOnation of several
minuteS He said that be was at a loss
10 account for the fire. except that n
had been due to an accident or tha4 20
was the work OF incendiaries
-Four investigations were started ir1D@-
oiately to ascertain the origin. Prank
Garoarino, special agent OF the Bureal
OF Investigation OF the Department Of
Justice, in charge of the activities
against aliens suspected or overt acts.
was on the scene with several OF his
assistants. He said at the end Of a su-
perhctal investigation that he believed
the explosion was OF incendiary origin.
Capt Wilhelm. in charge Of the plant.
also instituted his separate tpouir, snd
intlmated that the explosion was due 20
either carelessness in packing the DOW.
der or TO a conclusion from some other
source. Capt Of Detectives Tate dis
patched Lieut. Wood with twenty men
to the scene and from the Information
which they picked up they held that the
eNplosion was mystery that might
never be explained.
Austrian Arrested.
Chief OF Police Vance. Of chestar. In
charse Of the police. held an Austrian
prisoner who was seen to be running
alohs the tracks Of the Pennsylvania
Railroad from Eddystone TO Moore sta-
ton. The man was held ana ChIef yano.
declared that he had been unable 70 ger
the susTect 10 talk freely,
The building which was wrecked by th.
'eNplosion stands in the central portion OF
the munitions grounds, west OF the PENN
sNINana Railroad tracks. which run
aloh- IN" waters edge 1t is one Of the
uSua! mushroom structures. about coo
tt' ia IehSth and nearly 100 feet wide
In this huilding the shrapnel sbens o..
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