The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-01-12
MUN|TION PLANT
LAID Waste BY
SHELL AND FIRE
Countryside for Miles Near
Gotham Bombarded,

NEW YORK, Ian - he ~ acre |
ammunition plant OF the Canadian Car |
and Foundry company near kiup,and |
\. ]. is SCARED and hlackcncd ruin /
TODAY. swept by flames and plowcd by |
bursting shells, The fire ragged all |
night because the explosion Of shells .
kept the iircmen a, distance which ,
prevented fighting the tlamcs
Time for Escape.
No loss OF life has been DEFINITELY
reported and II all the l.UD employees
Of the plant escaped. their safety Is due
partly to the fact that short time
interviewed between the discovery Of the
fire and the moment when the flame,
reached the stored ammunition
The loss estimated at more than -
100000 is accounted for almost entirely
by the destruction Of shell, which the
company loads Al thi, plant for the
/ Russian government The rectangular
/ enclosure contained between forty and
/ iity buildings. but these were OF ilimSy
/ construction and it is said that the
company intended To abandon them IN
short time when it finished its pres.
/ cnt contract
Deaths in Marshes Possible.
/ More than 1000 person, who fled
from their homes surrounding the plant
to escape the ram OF prolcctllc, were
sheltered and fed last night by the po-
|. lice and charity officials of ncighbor-
ing towns Some time may clapSc be
|. fore 1t is known whether any OF the
|. iugltiycs lost their lives IN the Hackcn-
sack marshes through which many Of
them plunged in blind rush for
safety
The flame, did not reach the COM
pany's magazines IN which were stored
rintro,ulol commonly called "T ~.
I', nitric acid. plcric acid and black
powder used IN charging the shells
Shells Did Not Explode
Although the country Immediately
surrounding the plant was subjected all
nigh, TO a terrific bombardmcnt the
damage was not as great aS had been
feared owing to the fact that the
shells were not equipped with dctpnAt-
ing fuse. until they reached Russia
For this reason the pfojcctlle, came
down like solid shots and did not cX-
plodc
Fire was first observed IN a room
where worknen we're cleaning the
brass cases OF shells in dcnatured al
cohol II is bclicycd that the flames
first burst from tub OF alcohol. ig-
ntcd by glowing piece OF insulation
| from, ~ lYFtrt. 80 on, the ratlt,tU
/ Detonations Continue
Dctnna,iOus continued throughout
the forenoon. Occasionally three inch
she'll, exploded and frequently smaller
ones and the police kept person, from
| entering the danger zone. Thousand
OF uneNplodcd shells lay on the ground
On the chance that employees lnlure,
and suffering from exposure might b,
| living ON the liackcnSack meadows
across which many fleeing person.
made their escape. policemen IN hip
boot, were detailed to make a search
II was considered possible that mum
ber OF the persons reported miSSln,
might have drowned III the meadow
4 streams
W Il IiarkncSs, superintendent o
the munl,ion works. said he believe,
there was no loss oi lie. He did no
know how the fire started, he said, ne
could he estimate the damage.
Investigation today by New JcrSc,
and New York author,ic, OF the eX
ploSion and fire IN the klngSland
| y. ], plan, OF the Canadian Car an,
Foundry COMPANY disclosed no!hus
to indicate that the origin was olhc
than accidental, it was announced Fur
,hcr inquiry is to be made and It i
understood that the Russian commiS
sion agents for the purchase and de
livery oi approximately ,SO0Oc0 shell
awaiting shipment from the plant I,
Europe will participate IN this inycS
tiga,ion.
Spark Falls on Table.
Police Investigators indicated tha
the fire started when a spark Tell upo
table and igni,ed inilammable fluid
while the flames spread when a work
man attempted to cx,inguSh them
No Bodies Found.
Early reports OF loss OF life have no
| been confirmed Although a few per
sons are said to be missing no bodic
II have been found