Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-09-08
EXPLODING SHELL
|. WRECKS ARSENAL
AT PH|LADELPH HIA
Five Buildings Burned In Fire
Which Quickly Followed
Explosion
CAP STRUCK FLOOR WHEN
BIG SHELL WAS DROPPED
Two Dead, Two Missing and
80 Injured, Among Latter
Several Women

Philadelphia, Sept. S.-Five build
ings at the Frankford government ar
senal here are in ruins, two workers
are dead, and thirty, including several
women, are injured, following a ser
les of five explosions at clock this
morning.
Two employees have not been account
ed for.
Colonel Montgomery, commandant of
the arsenal, would make no statement
regarding the cause of the explosion.
Among the workers the first report
was that six inch shell, into which
powder was being pressed in the high
explosives building-R. A. House No.
7-exploded.
A later explanation was that q work
man dropped three inch shrapnel shell
which exploded when the PERCUSSION eaI
struck the floor, throwing shrapnel in
all directions.
titled, one being burned beyond rcog-
milton. The missing are Edward Batzol
and janitor named Fox.
Buildings Destroyed.
The buildings destroyed were two
r.. A., or artillery assembling houses,
numbers ana and three IX or dry
houses. The X. A. houses are houses in
which high, explosives are handled and
the loading of big shells is part of the
work done. The TX houses are those in
whic powder, gun cotton and fuses are
dried.
All the buildings were of frame con-
struetion excepting r. A. house number
z, a new brick structure.
Oscar Wistner, Jr. who, with his sis
ter, Clare, was at work filling shells in
the loading room in plant r. A.. number
2, told this story of the accident:
"here was binding flash and ter
rifle explosion which threw us to the
ground. When the shock was over, there
was mad stampede for exits. was
trampled on by several men.
81 got out Of the crush and searched
for my sister. Flames were shooting
about in every direction. Girls screamed
many tainted, while others were moan
ing from injuries. L found my sister
covered with wreckage, and dragged
her, unconscious, to safety"
According to Wistner, shrapnel flew
in all directions through the crowded
workroom.
zoo Were at Work.
Two hundred persons were at work in
the various arsenal buildings and in
the yards at the time of the explosion.
The first explosion is understood to
have occurred in powder house number
seven, where six inch shells were being
filled.
one of the shells exploded, according
to early reports, igniting other explo-
sives in the building and the entire
structure was soon in flames.
The fire then spread TO three other
buildings in which powder, fuses and
guncottOn are dried.
All of these buildings were very close
together, and the explosions as the
flames spread to them came in rapid
succession.
Work in the arsenal was ordered sus-
pended at once by Colonel Montgomery
the commandant, but at Gao he res
cinded this order and ordered the work
ers admitted as usual.
Confusion both in the plant and III
the surrounding neighborhood followed
the series of blasts. AS the men and
women employed in the arsenal rushed
from the buildings, their relatives ran
TO the scene in thousands, frantic with
fear.
Soldiers Do Fine Work.
The dead had not been identified ear
ly today. One body was found in tn
wreckage and there were reports that
others had been seen.
Eight members of the Fourth battal-
ion Of the Forty Seventh New YORK IN
fantry, ON guard duty at the arsenal,
failed to answer an early roll call after
they had been engaged in rescue work
for several hours. Colonel Jannieky Is
in command OF these troops. Heroism OF
the New Yorkers in Drawing the flamei
and the danger of further explosions
while helping the frightened and inJur
ed workers to safety won them grea'
commendation.
Heavy rain which fell during the
NIGHT is believed to have prevented
worse damage than resulted.
The soldiers on duty said without the
rain they would have been unable TO
keen the flames away from the large
magazine where thousands Of pounds