Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-04-10
ARMS h
Fifty Killed and
Philadelphia Toda.
Work of Incendiary
Philadelphia, Pa, April 10.

Philadelphia, Pa, April 10.
least fifty persons are dead, 20
Imore dying or critically injured, al.
hundreds more or less seriously hui.
as the result of series of explosions
which wrecked the shrapnel plant of
the Eddystone Ammunition Company
at Eddystone, this morning.
Fires which sprang up following
the blasts and which still were rag
ing after noon today made any de-
tailed investigation impossible. 1t Is
reported. however, that the disaster
was the work of an incendiary.
Many of the victims are girls or
women. Eighty per cent of the work
ers in the buildings which suffered
most were female.
Aid Rushed to Scene.
Fire apparatus, doctors, anG nurses
have been rushed, to the scene from
Philadelphia, Chester, and other near
by communities. a personal appeal
for aid was received here from Eddy
stone by Mayor Smith.
The wrecked plant was a part OF
the Baldwin Locomotive Works.
The building wrecked by the first
.ynlosion was the one III which
shrapnel shells were filled.
The shock caused two more explo-
sions. which shattered nearby struc-
lures. The entire country side was
shaken as if by an earthquake.
The first explosion came, totally
without warning, at 1910 this morn
ING. Two others came in rapid sue
cession. literally shaking buildings to
pieces.
After the three big shocks, minor
explosions continued intermlttentiy'
and at times sounded like the trlng
of a Gatlng gun battery. For THIS
reason it was impossible for rescuers
to appear near the actual scenes OF
the explosions.
$50 to 200 Dying.
Because of inadequate taciiities d.
Eddvstone, the injured were rusheu
70 Chester and Philadelphia.
Between $50 and 200 were rushe"
to the Chester Hospital by Ii o'clock
most of them dying.
While fifty dead bodies nave a'rea"s
heen taken from the ruins and from
5OO to 700 are known to be hurt
many Of them mortally, it is lmpossi-
b,o 70 state the casualties with any
degrea of accuracy. Seven hundred
and fifty persons were employed IN
the first building wrecked alone.
II was one of the most disastrous
series of explosions in d munitions
factory since the war began
Nine buildings in section +, the
main part of the factory, worth MIL
lions of dollars. were completely de-
strovcd and practically every building
in the entire plant was rocked to its
foundations.
Buildings for miles around were
shaken by an earthquake
The origin Of the explosion Is a
mystery. but officials of the Depart
ment Of Justice are practically sure
it was started by an incendiary.
Detectives Sent to Scene.
Shortly after noon men from the
detective bureau here were rushed TO
Eddvstone with a minute descrlp-
+iop Of a man who is believed to ne
| the originator
Detective Lieutenant Wood here
was notified by the Chester police
that the suspect hurriedly entered q
drug store in Moore's, near Eddy
stone. soon after the explosions
started. saying he must catch train
for Philadelphia as soon as posi-
BILE. He admitted having been at
| Eddystone just as the explosions
started.
Officials arriving at the plant
soon after it started shot a man who
was acting suspiciously, but MS
name is withheld. Two others are
under arrest