The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-15
Make ARREST IN
BLOW-UP PROBE
IN new JERSEY
Lock Up Man Who Worked
in DuPonts' Haskell
Plant Only One Day.

Plant Only One Day.
New York, Jan. 15-Following an
Investigation into the explosion in the
du Pont powder plant at Haskell, N.
j., Friday light, Police Chief Miller OF
Pompton Lakes yesterday arrested
jeremiah O'Donnell, who had been
employed there for one day.
He said he expected to make two
more arrests today, but would not
say what charges would be lodged
against the men. O'Donnell is held
as a vagrant. and further than that
he went to Haskell from Gloucester,
Mass, the police have been unable to
get anything from him.
The chief admitted he had been in
quirihg into some mysterious phases
in connection with the explosion, but
declined to say whether he had learned
of any plot to blow up the plant.
Captain William Offley Of the De-
'partment of Justice, who also is in
vestigating the explosion said last
night he had heard Of ODonnells de-
tention only through newspaper men.
and that his arrest was the work Of
the local police alone.
Pompton Lakes is two miles from
the wrecked munitions plant and suf-
fered. most from the explosion. There
is still a great deal of Indignation
among those who live there, and an
effort may be made to force the Of
ficials Of Passaic county to hold an
inquest.
DIR. Robert r. Armstrong, who de-
clared on Saturday that "inquests are
In1a a
facts to work on said last night
that while it was in his power to or
der the inquiry he had hesitated be-
cause he had not yet consulted with
Michael Dunn, the county prosecu-
tor.
$50 far as I have inquired" he
added, "al1 the knowledge as to how
the explosion occurred went up with
the wreckage. If Pompton borough
insists on an inquest, T have no OBJ
lection and do not believe the prose-
cutor will either. believe the COM
pany's statement that only two were
killed to be correct
It Is said workmen have told the
police Of Pompton Lakes that TWEEN
ty-seven men were at work in one Of
the buildings when the explosion
came and that only two escaped.
Mayor Herschfield of Pompton
Lakes said measures should be taken
at once to prevent recurrence Of
the Haskell explosion. The mayor
was elected to the Legislature at the
recent election and added that as soon
as he takes his seat at Trenton he
would frame legislation for the reg
ulatton Of powder plants in all parts
Of New Jersey. The mayor rs Of the
opinion that they should be sent into
the backwoods and will frame bill
TO this effect.
Kfngsland and Haskell plants that
the explosions were accidental, Fed
era1 agents regard the coincidence as
q score Of men are Invests ating In
Eastern and Northern New Jersey.
Capt. Offley said last night that he
had no tangible clues to work on as
yet. His men are being assisted by
Major Sylvester, chief Of the police
employed at the Haskell plant, and
private detectives of the Canadian
Car & Foundry company. owner of
the works. at Kingsland.
Capt. Offley ran down a story dur
ing the day which had been related to
him by a man said he had overheard
conversation between two plotters
in a FoTty-second street restaurant.
Investigation revealed that the plot
tersS had simply talked in general
way about the losses Of war materials
consigned to the allies.
Major-Gen. Frederick Falkner
Minchin, an. Irishman and munitions
n14v~ 80 70
mission, with offices at IA Wall street,
returned on the steamship New York
yesterday afternoon, having been
abroad for two months. He said he
had received wireless messages telling
him Of the explosions, Immediately
after they had occurred, and when
asked if he believed they were acct
dental, he replied:
well. you wouldn't call such ex-
plosions coincidence. would you?''
Loss About 100000.
An offlciaI statement was issued
from the Offices Of the Dupont Conn
pany in Wilmington, Del, last night.
In part, it follows: !,
"Oficials Of the Dupont Company
returned to Wilmington today from
a thorough investigation into the ex-
plosion of Friday night.
Every person employed in the
works was accounted for and it is Of
f1cially announced that there were
only two deaths and of the nine in
jured only two had to remain in the
hospital.
'The property loss is estimated by
the company at the outside as not
more than 100000. These figures
include the value Of the powder de-
stroyed, 100000, and not more than
100000, which will be required to
put the destroyed parts of the plant
in working order again.
1T is possible that q few thousand
dollars. certainly at more than $15,-
600, may be added to this to pay for
the damage done to surrounding
property. This damage consists prin-
cipally OF broken glass in neighbor-
ing villages.
"The reports that the village of
Haskell was a Blackened ruin are so
grossly exaggerated as to be ridicu-
1ous. Every man slept in his own bed
Saturday night and no residents were
at any time 'smothered in the ruins
The village of Haskell though y,,s, ri,