Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-17
CAUSE OF NORFOLK
BL0WUP UNKNOWN
Officers Doubt Theory That
|. w. WIS Destroyed
Gasoline Plant.
TWO WORKMEN KNOWN DEAD
Heavy Guard Maintained Over
Plant; Believed Impen-
etrable by Anarchists.

Whether the explosion at the stand
ard oil Company's gasoline refinery
and loading rack at Norfolk Thursday
night, which cost the lives of two
men and property loss of half a MIL
lion dollars was caused by members of
the l. W. w. who had threatened
destruction of the plant, or whether
tho explosion was caused from another
scource is mooted question in tho
minds of officials of the company and
officers who have been conducting an
investigation. The majority hold the
belief that 1t was not the work of
|. w. W. members.
One of the reasons why those who
uphold the anarchistic theory is that
-. Edgar Pew, whose home here was
dynamited several weeks ago, is the
oklahoma head OF the company which
towns the Norfolk plant.
While even the officials of the COM
pany admit that they have been un-
able to secure authentic Information
from the scene of the explosion, par
tally due to the destruction of the
telephone and telegraph lines radiat-
ing from Norfolk, n special TO The
World from Yale, only five miles dis
tant, last night brought the informa-
ton that even the workmen of the
plant as we'll as the officials secuted
the idea that the destruction was the
fullfllment of a threat said to have
been received some five hours before.
in which the declaration was made
that the I. w. w. members would blow
the plant Ito pieces"
Property Loss Heavy.
Until officials of the Standard Oil
Company, of Indiana, rcturned this
morning, ssss-.he scsne OF the e8-
plosion. no definite details as to the
exact amount of destruction wrought
can be secured, but from reports which
came in last night ii appears that five
stills in the refinery and at least II
, tank cars of the Union Tank Line. s..
o. were destroyed with more than
100000 gallons of gasoline and naph-
tina
In seeking a solution to the ex-
plosion. officials of the company and
those acquainted with the construc-
ton of the plant believe that the life
and property loss was the result of n
gas explosion not unlike that which
occurred at Ardmore some two years
ago when a large part of the business
section Of that city was destroyed by
the explosion of carload of gasoline
The cars which were being loaded at
the refinery at Norfolk Thursday night
were being filled with a very high
grade of gasoline. In cases OF this
kind, according to experts, the gas
which escapes is very dense and on
a still night, such as that of Thursday,
has a tendency to settle in a blanket
over the premises. The striking Of a
match by one Of the men near the
loading rack would have ignited the
gas, causing the rapid explosion of
the cars being filled. and the stills
which were but slightly removed from
the loading station.
Two Men Killed.
The two men killed in the explosion,
William Campbell and Dan ]. Ryan,
tank car leaders, were found some dis
tance from their usual positions on the
loading rack. and the rescue party. In
an effort to learn IL others had been
killed failed TO find indications Of
others having lost their lives The re-
port that nine others were missing was
declared unfounded by an official OF
the company last night and also was
refuted by the Chief of Police of Yale
who had made an investigation Of the
scene of the explosion during the at