The Washington herald., 1921-03-30
k'HT Die, Is HURT
n MIGHTY CHICAGO
FIREWORKS BLAST
Block of Business Houses
Destroyed When Store
Blows Up.

and two women are known to have
been killed and possibly seventy
nvs persons injured today when two
tons Of fireworks and gunpowder
exploded at 1878 South Halsted
street. rocking the entire west side
ard laying a block Of business
htuses in ruin
OF the eight bodies recovered, six
dsve been identified. In the blast
debris police believe two others are
buried
The district where the explosion
h >curred Is densely populated and
n ter the survivors recovered from
hrst daze of the horror, there
ere scenes of panic and pitiful
obstruction Survivors told shocking
stories Of seeing bodies blown asun-
5er. Fortunately, no fire followed
explosion, for in that event the
.th list would have been much
sr 1ater as crippled victims under
the wreckage would have burned
to death before they could have
been rescued.
Three Held by Police.
"A ive-sided official inquiry into
he affair brought forth these facts:
hat between two and three tons
explosives were stored in a ware
.fouse in the rear of 1427-29 South
Halsted street. The warehouse was
under lease to w. Singer and N.
Shaffer Company, dealers in fire.
works. The storing of explosives
in the city limits is violation of
law.
As a result of the inquiry. the
following men are being held by
the police: Edward Schaffer. son
of Nathan Schaffer. partner in the
concern; Isadore
Schaffer, brother of Edward Schaf-
fer; Max Singer, city salesman for
the concern.
On May %. 1890. Chief of the
Fire Prevention Bureau John C.
Mcdonald received a report from
an investigator that a carload of
Fireworks had been delivered to the
bhrm of w. Singer and N. Schaffer.
AN order was Immediately issued to
set the explosives out of the city
limits.
small Explosion First.
On March IS. 1921. 1850 pounds
|pf torpedoes were received from a
Philadelphia concern.
This material was stored in the
South Halsted street place. police
heclare. Portions of 1t were still
there last night.
This morning about 10 o'clock
business was progressing as usual
kt the Singer-Schaffer store and at
the paper house of Joseph Well and
Sons next door to the north.
In the Singer-Schaffer warehouse
1T the rear a half dozen workmen
we're slapping each other about in
= spirit of horseplay.
A truck hauled by two heavy
bay horses and driven by Harry
Wells pulled into the alley. The
contents of that truck are un-
known Behind him pulled in a
heavy gasoline truck filled with a
popular brand of corn syrup and
Driven by Max Sigman. Wells
barted to back his team to the
Door of the Singer-Schanfer ware
house-
Suddenly there came a small re-
port. as though from giant
kracker." Then the wooden ware
bouse disintegrated in a mighty
last that tore adjoining buildings
10 pieces, hurled broken bits of
rick and wood. and twisted hunks
metal for hundreds of yards, and
mashed windows in the surround
hg neighborhood for half a mile
Wells truck was demolished, only
he SCARED hub wheels and the bent
nd battered tires remaining II
Fas buried twenty feet under the
PASS of vreckage.
Flames 100 Feet High.
A mass of fame and wreckage
hot q hundred feet into the air.
mis- was followed by a dense pillar
Z black smoke that mushroomed
$ IL rose and then. falling. spread
Ike a pail over the surrounding
istricf.
A block away Oficer Patrick
1rns- of the Maxwell street sta
on stood in an alley. Tho force
the explosion threw him across
be street He gained his feet.
1lIed his box. called the FIRE de-
hrtment- and rushed to the scene.
var the drst man there.
A few moments later the police
zsroI and the hrs department ar
I'D 4 snail blaze springing up
Fon the ruins was quickly extin-
WISHED Thea began the search
y b>1Ie1 wells. battered to an
7ozt 1nreeoznfZabls mass, was