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

was withdrawn from the Sixth Regiment
armory at Chester today after the last of
the injured were removed to the Chester
Hospital
A quiet, as of death, hung over Eddy
stone today. Work was resumed in the
munition corporations plant with the ex-
ception of the wrecked section.
ABOUT $4,000 LOSS
The property loss in the disaster is
trifling compared with the loss of life. and
Eddystone Ammunition Corporation Of
flcials were quick as flash to put II out
of consideration of the tragedy.
? The highest estimate today placed it at
$40 900. OF this $4,000 made up the
value of the 5000 shells intended for the
Russian Government and the remainder
covered the value of the buildings that
were blown up or ridded by exploding
shrapnel This figure varies from $25 900
to $4,000. Strange to say, comparatively
little machinery damaged. The build
ings comprised group of one-story tile
and frame structures known as Section F.
They were Of the powder town mushroom"
type.
PLOT THEORY GROWS
Looking at the destruction wrought by
one of the nations great tragedies. Chester
is asking today: Did some ones careless
ness cause the Eddystone explosion Was
it the brain child of maniac? or was it's
army OF victims slain in "A fiendish war
plot?
The plot theory grows rather than dimin.
ishes. Officials of the Eddystone corpora
ton nave very strong impression" that
the catastrophe was the result of a plot
on that theory five separate agencies
working in harmony are running out every
clue today. They are the Department Of
Justice, the Eddystone Ammunition Cor
poration police, the Delaware County Off
cials, the state fire marshals and the Phila-
delpha Detective Bureau.
Captain Wilhelm gave the "strong i'm
preston as the view the munition works
officials have taken. He promised a thor
ough investigation and said DEVELOPMENTS
might be looked for before tonight The
probe began today under Coroner Drews of
Darby H,.-
1T will SO deep" he said.
official views differ radically on the origin
of the explosion, all possible clues to which
lie blasted In the charred ruins of section
f. the wrecked group of buildings.
United States District Attorney Francis
Fisher Kane authorized this statement:
The Federal authorities are working on
the explosion case and are running out every
possible clue or even rumor"
I'VE are working along big lines"
said Frank l.. Garbarino. special agent
of the Department of Justice First in
vestigation shows that the explosion might
have been caused by a fire"
Alba b. Johnson, president of the Bald
win Locomotive Works, said:
"After visiting Eddystone and talking to
the officials am convinced that the catas-
trophe could not have been an accident Al
though We have only circumstantial evil
dence. II looks as though some one touched
off bomb or time clock"
George Dwyer. a foreman, and Basil
Greenko, Russian Government inspector
who survived the explosion. said II seemed
to come from the outside. = Two yellow
dogs were blamed by'a Chester police Off
| cial. who declared that they would be hung
yet" He declined to explain.
United States National Guard officer,
are trying to get to the bottom of evidence
that foreign agencies had part in the
devastation. Arrests are being made,
Though a stern censorship tries to hide facts
Some survivors are convinced the blasts
were deliberately planned. And they tel
reasons for their belief Mayor w. s
McDowell's views are indicated by the re-
quest OF himself and other citizens. amount
ing to demand, that guards at the Eddy
stone ammunition works and the Reming
ton plant be increased for the protection o
Chester employees. Today fifty more guard.
than there were yesterday are patrollins
the Eddystone works.
General Manager Wilhelm said: II car
account for the exploelon In no othex way
4 s a;1plei 81