The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-29
SIX REPORTED. KILLED
AND SCORE WOUNDED By
PAPER COMPANY BLAST
Torpedo Cap Found on
Scene Leads Poics to
Suspect Bomb PloA

Chicago, March s9-At least
SIX and perhaps twice that
number Of persons were killed
and scores Of others were hurt
when IN unexplained explosion
blew to pieces . warehouse 1t
7O1 Barber street, about two
miles southwest Of the down.
town district today.
The Identified dead are:
NIKE TOPINSklE.
HARRY WELLS.
Both are teamsters.
Seven seriously injured were T
taken to TIE county hospital. A
branch OF Vhe public library
WAS turned into a dressing stA.
tlon and 80 persons we're given
first aid there. Eight others
were treated ut . drug store.
Hundreds Of children attend.
ing the James Garfield public
school nearby, had Just lelt the
building for recess when tie
explosion smashed the glass
roof covering the desks on he
top floor.
Special moving picture had
been shown on this floor and
Zoo children were in the N.
ditOrium five minutes before
the crash.
Slt was the luckiest thing l
ever heard Of" Henry 8. Crane,
principal said. ~MOst Of the
children were outside when the
detOnati0n came Some Of
them became excited but none
were injured.
The first six bodies recovered
from the ruins were those ap-
parently Of wOrkmen. One Of
the, survivors OF the accident
todd the police that about .
dozen men were employed In
the place but that there were
some truck drivers in the ware.
house when II blew up.
Dig Out Dead.
The explosion was not followe,
by a fire so the fire fighters becam
engaged in digging the dead ant
wounded out of the wreckage.
Three dead had been taken ou
and it is estimated that at leas
three others are under the debris.
Injured were rushed to impro
vised hospitals in the vicinity
Homes were thrown open for tn
care of those hurt.
The three victims of the explosion
who were pulled from the ruin
were badly mangled. 1t is ex
pected that identification will b
difficult, il not impossible.
The explosion was heard 10
miles around.
Heavy plate glass windows wer
smashed on the sidewalks within
radius of one mile. ~
Pictures in homes were crashc
to the floors.
Keep Back Italians.
A Gordon of police was immed
lately thrown about the scene I
keep back the frantic Italians VIII
rushed to the scene to determine
any of their relatives were anon
the victims
Pleasant-mannered Italian Won
en-, grown wild over the fear tha
some Of their loved ones had bee
killed or injured. battled with tn
police to see II they could identif
any Of the victims.
Police, however, were forced I
hold back these pathetic wome
with brilliantly covered shawl
hastily thrown about their shou
ders.
The first body to reach the cour
ty morgue was identified. with di.
ficulty, as that Of Mike Tipansk
30, truck driver.
;. He was found underneath th
wrecked. building.
1t is not known whether he wa
in the building at the time Z
hurled from his truck which wa
passing the scene when the bla!
came.
His head was blown of.
Thousands Of Italians-mel
women and children-held back
their repeated efforts~to rush th
police lines, gasped and then fe
into silence as they saw two bodie
with the heads blown on pulled Of
and put on stretchers.
Find Girls Foot.
The foot of q girl. still neat
its satin pump, was pulled out an
placed on a white canvas-covere
stretcher-waiting for the. n
mainder Of the shattered body.
A horse, with its legs blown con
pletely or. was still alive whe
firemen arrived and its howls ,
misery and suffering were endt
by q revolver shot.
The Well Paper company VI
surrounded by little shabby CO
tages inhabited by Italians.
Many Of these little homes vel
smashed to atoms and the occl
pans, bleeding and bruised, forct
to the street.
These unfortunates were car
for by more fortunate fellow-coul
trymen who took them in the
| homes and cared for their injuril
Feet OF the mob held back OF Il