Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-20
KNOWN DEAD
IN AETNA EXPLOSIONS
Ninety.Four Injured in Hospitals,
and Thirty-One Employees Re-
ported as Missing.
SMOKE HANGS OVER RUINS
Countryside Dcsolatc for Several
Miles Around Scene OF Saturdays
Disaster Near PittsbulgIi-Trccs
Denuded Of Foliage.
IBy Associated Press.

ICY Associated Press
PITTSBURGH, May 19.-Fifty- six
men are known to be dead ninety-four
injured in hospitals and thlrty-one en-
ployees of the Aetna Chemical Com
pany are missing as the result of the
nine explosions yesterday that wrecked
this company's explosive manufacture
ing plant at Oakdalc. sixteen miles
from this city.
This report is the result of the days
investigation by State, Federal, count
and city officials. and of the work of
scores of men under direction of Coro-
ner Samuel C. Jameson.
Throughout the night and all day
to-day men were extinguIshing small
fires in the debris and were bringing
out remnants of human bodies. Legs
and arms. hands with finger rings on
them, and in some instances only the
moderated torsos. were found. In
most cases there was nothing to indi-
cate the identity of the victim. These
gruesome recoveries were carried to
the morgue. where opportunity to view
them was given any one who might
have lost friend or relative in the dis
aSter.
EVERYTHING DLACKENED
By FINAL BLAST
While earlier explosions wrecked the
plant. the last one. about 6:3o, scat
tered debris over more acreage than
before and blackened every piece Of
metal or timber. as well as anything
human. beyond recognition.
All day blue-brown smoke con-
uhued TO hang over the ruins. consid-
erably impeding the work OF the
searchers. It's deadly fumes are feared
by the residents OF the community. and
only when slight breeze would lift
the smoke would searchers be able IN
get close TO the various piles of debris
For time the work was impeded fur
'her by the thousands of sightseers
that Hooked TO tho scene from the sur
rounding country y company OF the
State constabulary was rushed in nm
.o'i'ooileS from Greensburg to estab-
iish a greater Gordon about the scene
of the disaster. The crowds and ~
tomobiles were turned back when tbcv
had reached within five miles ~ al,
dale. Only those having business. or
the officials. were admitted mast N.
guards.
fD
The morGuc all day TO view tho pr,,a
some finds from the ruins, and i, took
special detail of police to keen This
r'orblc element in check Some idcn,i
nNa'iohs were made. ritiful, sad scenes
were on every. hand and one in mar
tiou!ar was when Adam Martz, one OF
the coroner'S workers in the moryue
collapsed. He had found in bucket
bunch OF keys and a penknifc that
ndh belonged 10 his SON The son hal
been employed in the plant.
Inc country to-day is desolatc for
an area OF several miles around Tho
plant, where the former beautiful green
hlllsldes have been smcarcd and burnaI
by the blasts.
Fruit and shade trees have bcon
oiasted and dcnuded OF their foliage
"dcral officers ordered the arrest
OF Two men, who were charged nv a
woman with making seditious rcmarI,:
:, spcclai policeman employed by tho
Aetna Chemical Company arrested twn
men early today as they were about
10 hurry away from the plant on a
motorcycle. Their names and the
charges upon which they are held are
withheld by officials pending invest,-
cation.
Among the> identified dead Is Henry
Plenty negro, OF Scottsburg. Va.
ana Marshall Anderson. China Grove
~ c.; George Christopher, Reynolds,
Ga; IL. T. Brillingcr, York, Pa. and
j. X. Lane, Mcadvile. Pa
Miss Meryl Aschelman, the graduate
nurse from st. Johns Hospital, who
was caught in one of the explosions
while doing rescue work yesterday,
was reported to-day to be in u fair
way To recovery. despite the loss Of
one leg that was blown off