Norwich bulletin., 1917-04-11

ana Twelve persons. most of them wO-
men and girls. are know to have lost
their lives and 121 were injured by a
series OF terrific explosions today in
the shrapnel building of the Eddystone
ammunition Corporation at Eddy
stone, one mile from this city. Many
OF the injured were mortally hurt and
1t is feared the final death list will
reach $50. while others probably will
be MANNED for life.
Fire Added to the Horror.
How many of the 800 or more en-
ployeS in the building in which was
stored approximately 10000 shells, es-
capped is almost beyond conception as
there was scarcely a fragment of the
structuee left intact. Fire added to
the horror and most of the bodies W ere
SO badly charred that Identification
was impossible.
In the absence of any official state
ment many theories as to the cause
or the disaster. one of the worst ever
experienced in this section, We're ad-
Vanced. Rumors of plots and arrests
OF persons both inside and outside the
plant We're numerous, but all lacked
confirmation
Shrapnel Was Near Radiator.
Two Philadelphia detectives were
sent to Eddystone soon after the ex-
poison on rumor that it was the
result of a plot After spending sew
eral hours investigating, they report
ed that they had learned from officials
or the corporation who had made an
1hYesugatfon that quantity of shrap-
mel had been placed near a radiator
and that the heat might easily have
exploded it. Their opinion is that the
explosion was purely accidental and
tney scout the suggestion that it was
police stations in the vicinity and in
qulr1es among officials of the company
1alIed to reveal that any arrests had
been made.
Three Explosions.
An Official of the corporation in die
cussfng the probable cause of the ex
pfosion, declared that at not time did
ne bedeve there was more than one
haIr a ton OF powder in the building at
one time and that this was never in
bulk The powder was kept in
magazine on the banks of the creek !"
this official said. @tand was carried to
the building in cans that hold about
two gallons From these cans If
!! would be distributed to the Worl,ers
! VINO used gauges to fill the shrapnel
shells So far as we have been able
= to learn there were only three expIo-
sions Two Of these were compare
lively light. but the third was terrific
so powerful that a boathouse $50
yards away was demolished"
Heard in Philadelphia.
The explosion. which was felt in
Philadelrhta, distance of Is miles.
occurred about 10 O'Clock in what fs
known as the 10 F. building. a two
story structure. rs by 800 feet. In this
building time fuses were prepared
more than 80 per cent of the workers
eelng women and girls. Probably
the building at the time of the blast
and the majority of them escaped.
Great Excitement Ensued.
Great excitement followed the ex-
plosion. A heavy pail of smoke dark
ened the entire town. which has a pop
TIIA 4f Ok
1ghtened by the flames from the burn
ing building. Rescue squads compos-
ed OF other employees at the plant were
quickly formed and call for assist
ance was sent to Philadelphia Chester
Wilmington and other nearby points
The entire Chester fire department re-
sponded and ambulances from Phila- |
delphfa and Chester were soon at the
scene A strong guard of Pennsylva-
MIA mlitiamen and cadets from the |
Pennsylvania Military academy was
thrown around the plant and everyone
except those assisting in the rescue |
work was forbidden to approach. |
Dead Taken Out.
Fifteen minutes after the exnlosion
the bodies of the dead and injured were |
being carried out. They were placed /
in any conveyance that happened to |
be at hand. Some were takes to the |
morgue and hospitals in grocers' wag- |
ons and butcher carts, while others |
were placed in motor cars Several |
bodies were hshed out of the marsh |
es two hundred yards from the i'll |
fated building and It is feared that |
others may have been blown into the |
river, still further away. All were |
badly mutilated and many were burned |
beyond recognition.
Homes Thrown Open to Injured.
Some of the injured were Temporal
rily cared for in buildings of the am
munition company. while scores OF /
homes in Eddystone and in nearby |
towns were thrown open to others
There were numerous instances of
heroism- In one of these Captain
Walter Wilhelm. vice pIS sident Of the
Eddystone corporation and formerly a
guardsman, dashed through
smoke and flame into the wreckage no
less than ten times. each time car
rying some one to safety.
Confusion Among Rescue Squads.
For time there was confusion