Arizona republican., 1918-07-03
SEMET- -SOLvAY FACTORY FIRE
 REACHES vATS
 1T EXPLOSIVES
Estimated Killed
 and 200 Injured In De- tOnatiOn Which Rocks Syracuse Miles Away
Republican A. P. Leased Wire

Republican A. p. Leased Wire SYRACUSE, N. Y, July 2.-At least | l6 persons were killed and 200 injured and the huge plant of the Semet Sol vay company at Split Rock, near here Twas virtually wrecked by two explo- sions of trinitrotulol at 9:3O o'clock tonight.
 | Rocks Syracuse Buildinqs | Terrific conclusions from the explo- sions rocked large business buildings in the center of this city, smashed plate glass windows and caused a. panic 4n the residential district. The explosions followed a fire that had raced beyond control and spread to the TT. N. IT. vats.
 Two let go, burying workers under Ian avalanche of debris and scattered the flames to adjoining buildings.
 ire is Still Raging
 At late hour tonight, the flames were burning fiercely and there was constant danger of more explosions. volunteer firemen were powerless. Aid was sent from Syracuse but at mid nlght the water system broke down. | rive hundred workers were in the lplant when the fire broke out. Its or lgln has not been aseertaffed. The lWorkers fought the flames and when they ran to safety were caught in the first explosion
 Blown Through Walls
 Men were hurled in all directions. Two, caught between burning build ings, were blown through a wall. Still alive when picked up. there was not shred of clothing on their bodies.
 The second explosion followed the flrst after fiftocl minutes. The expIo- sions crumplc@ buildings in the vicin- Ilty Home of Workmen across the road from the plant collapsed. Burn ing timbers were blown to the roofs of buildings across the railroad tracks which divide the plant
 Families fled across fields in confu- sion. A woman, hysterical carried a tiny Kitten ciuthched to her breast
 Tells Story Of Fire
 James Russo and Arthur c. GoodfeI- low were analyzing samples in the plant when the cry of Fire" called them to building No. 1 Goodfellow tells this story:
 Russo grabbed a hose and tried to help. Smoke was thick, we could not see. Little explosions kept letting go inside the building. There wasn't ] IcHOuSu NdleT I0 De or any We knew that a big explosion was coming, and we ran. Just as we reached the foot of a hill the blast let D lgo. It knocked us both flat on onr faces"
 Telephone Lines Destroyed
 telephone message from Split kock brought the first word of the ac- lcldent to the city. It reached police headquarters in the form of request tor all the ambulances. The shock of the explosion, a few minutes earlier. ! mad tied up all the telephone lines. 7 causing a delay before the ambulances ilwere on the way
 Both fire and explosions, according to workmen who escaped, were con fined to the east side of the plant 1 which is made up of about 15 buildings d Three T. N. T. Plants Involved n There are three of the T. N. T. a plants, in the first of which the flames Q originated. Next to them are six . lplants in which nitric acid is handled
 Beyond them, only a hundred wards n away. are four plants in which picric = acid is handled All of these were on # the south side of the railroad tracks.
 At midnight the flames had eater
 into the picric acid plants and were
 making slow headway toward the giant tanks of oleum
 a Most of the small explosions werc y due. according to workmen, to the con E. tact of flames with small "nitrefiers' e or "pulverizers."
 IT Bad Fire in Aetna Plant
 MOUNT UNION, Pa, July Fir, Il here today destroyed four buildings O d the Aetna chemical company Abou .s 45GOO0 pounds of gun cotton were de " stroyed. The loss is estimated a