The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-05-23
EXPLOSIVE MAKING
PLANT BLOWS Up
REMNANTS OF HUMAN BODIES,
LEGS AND ARMS ARE FOUND
IN WANE or DISASTER.
Fifty elk Workers Are Known To Be
Dead, While 81 Are Missing and 90
In the HSGpitals-ldentity lmpossi-
Bile In Majority Of Cases.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Pittsburg, -Fifty-six men are
known to be dead, % injured and in
hospitals and 81 employees of the
Aetna Chemical Company are missing
as a result of the explosion that
wrecked this company's explosive
making plant at Oakdale, 16 miles
from this city This report is the re-
suit of the investigation by state, Fed
eral, county and city officials, and of
the work of scores of men under direc-
ton of Coroner Samuel c. Jamison.
Small fires in the debris we're extin-
guished and we're bringing out rem
nants of human bodies. legs and arms,
hands with fnger-rings ON them, and
in some instances only the incinerated
torsos were found. In some cases
identification was possible, but in most
OF them there was nothing to indicate
the identity Of the victims.
These gruesome recoveries were
carried to the temporary morgue in
Buckas, where every opportunity to
view th@n was given anyone that
might hEe lost friend or relatives in
the disafer. While earlier explosions
wrecked the plant, the last one blew
the pile} of debris clear of the ground
and scStered them over more acreage
than before and blackened every piece
of metal or timber, as well as any
thing human, beyond recognition.
Blue-brown smoke continued to hang
over the ruins, considerably impend-
ing the work OF the sesrchers. Its
deadly fumes are feared by the resi-.
dents OF the community and only when
a slight breeze would lift the smoke
would searchers be able to get close
TO the debris.
For a time the work was impeded
further by the thousands Of sightseers
that focked to the scene from the sur
rounding country. Automobiles block
ed all roads to and from the place and
another company of the state constab-
Greensburg to establish a greater cor
don about the scene of the disaster.
The crowds were ordered back and au-
tomobiles were turned back when they
had reached within FIVE miles of Oak
dale. After a complete Gordon encir-
cled the plant mile and a half, and
only those having business. or the Off
GERS, were admitted past the guards.
Thousands OF persons streamed into
the temporary morgue all day TO view
the grewsome finds from the ruins,
and ii took a special detail Of police
to keep this morbid element in check.
There we're many there OF right, how
ever, and some idenifications thus
we're made.
The country In desolate for an area
Of several miles around the plant
where the former beautiful green hill
sides have been scared and burned by
the blasts. The meadows and fields
have been scared, and fruit and shade
trees have been blasted and denuded
OF their foliage. Federal ofhcers. rep
resenting the Department of Justice,
ordered the arrest of two men who
were photographing the ruins, and who
were charged by woman with max
ing seditious remarks. A special 20
liceman employed by the Aetna Chem
teal Co. arrested two men during the
day as they were about to hurry away
from the plant on a motorcycle. The
names and charges upon which these
men are held are withheld by officials
pending investigation.