The Sentinel=record., 1918-05-19
Plant of the Aetna Chemical Co. is Lifted From the Ground and Hurled SkyWard.
The Debris Took Fire and Workers Who Had Survived the First Shock Were
 Pinioned Beneath Heaps of Burning Material and Lumber and the Poison- ous Fumes Tortured the Unfortunate

Pittsburgh, Pa, May Is Two hun dred men were killed and an equal number injured according 10 estimate tonight, in an explosion at the plant of the Aetna Chemical company. at Oakdale, 16 miles from here
 The plant was demolished The flrst explosion made noise scarcely louder than pistol crack IL came from the soda house The workers knew, however, and rushed for the exits.
 But most of them were too late The chemicals used for the manufac- ture of TT N. T." one of the most deadly of explosives, had ignited and a second explosion followed a few seconds later.
 This time the massive plant was lifted from the ground and hurled skyward. Crash followed crash Those who had escaped, saw the huge build ing twist in mid-air and the bodies of their fellow workers hurled forth with a wrecksgo of machinery
 The debris took fire and workers who had survived the first shock were pinloned beneath heaps of burning material and lumber
 A cloud of dust settled over the place and the poisonous fumes of the burning chemicals tortured tbc in iured
 Special trains ran into Pittsburgh all afternoon, carrying the dead and wounded Some were picked up more than half q mile from the scene.
 Minor explosions folluwcd during the rescue work and made work al- most impossible
 Telephone and telegraph wires were wrecked by the explosion and the tracks of the Pittsburgh, Cincin- natl, Chicago & St Louis railway tIhe Panhandle route), were blocked An employe hastened to Carnegie four miles distant, where wreck and relief trains were quickly made up and hurried to Oakdale.
 Every hospital in Pittsburgh sent ambulances with nurses and doctors 2 For time it seemed as though it would be impossible to reach the wounded, because of the heat. the constantly widening zone of gases and the danger from explosions
 But the nurses and doctors were not to be deterred and aided by the officers. they made their way as best they could. One nurse was perhaps fatally injured Other rescuers werr caught near lit le stream into which acid and oil had poured lt exploded as they crossed and number were thought to have perished
 Sheriff William s Paddock almos lost his life during one of the lat explosions 4 heavy piece of steel blown from the wreclAce passed closC to him and the force of the blas threw him to he ground He con tnued his work.
 Throughout the afternoon the fire burned. Each succeeding explosion reduced the blazing pile of ember and chemicals were widely scattered
 Soon after six o'clock an explosion louder and more powerful than an since noon swept the remnants o the fire and practically cleared th' biackened space
 Many bodies were consumed in tn Flames, the authorities declared, whil parts of others were so tossed abou the coroner declared it would be i'm possible to identify such portions a might be eventually found.
 Among the dead was Samuel W Dielh, assistant superintendent of tn Heidelberg plant of the Aetna com pany' while John B. Johnston, su perintendent of the Oakdale plant wa among the badly injured.