The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-23
MAY HAVE BEEN
SECRET WAR STORES
French Chemists Investi-
eating Explosion at
Oppau, Germany
NITRO SULPHATE
OF AMMONIA SALTS
Investigation Shows Large Amount OF
Dangerous Product Was Stored at Op-
pau-Town Mass of Ruins-Estimate
1.1OO Dead, 1000 Injured.

PARIS. Sept. 23.-French government
chemists have begun an investigation
at Oppau, Germany, where several hun
dred persons were killed by an explo-
sion Wednesday to determine whether
secret war stores and munitions had
been manufactured there, says a May
ence despatch to the Journals
Their inquiry has shown the explosion
was due to the spontaneous decomposl-
tion of a new product, nitro sulphate
of ammonia. The manufacture OF tins
salt had been going on at Opnau for the
past five months and considerable stock
of it had accumulated. 1t Is declared
Ey the dispatch that this practice 'ap-
pears to have been grossly imprudent
as ammonia compounds are most un-
stable and the properties OF the new
preparation are thus far poorly deilhed:
Desolation and ruins alone remain OF
what was once the tOurishlng town OF
Oppau The town has 6,5OO residents, OF
which majority OF the men eng;ageu 3o
in the chemical works were killed or
wounded Soldiers in French uniforms
are clearing away the wreckage, picking
uD the dead and injured as after big
battle. .,
Eleven hundred dead and 1900 in
iured is the latest estimate of the dis
aster which caused a greater number or
casualties in the district of Mannheim.
Ludwigshafen than the four years OF
the war The desOlatlOn around Oppau
EQUALS anything seen at Eerdun or IN
Flanders over similar area. Hundreds
of persons are digging in the ruins for
the bodies of relatives or friends,
nearly 1000 Of whom have been reeoV-
cred thus far.
Thirty-six hours after the explosion,
from the gaping. funnel-like hole where
the Badische works formerly stood,
there are still to be heard moaning and
cries of the wounded, while the soldiers
search for possible survivors. twenty
five hundred of the injured are reported
to have passed through the hospitals OF
the surrounding cities.
The vast crater is slowly filling with
water, and il may never be known how
many victims found a grave there. All
mutilated, but still living, animals
crawling amidst the twisted girders and
blocks of concrete are being put out of
their misery. The fremen and relief
workers have not vet been able to dis
card their gas mas Ks. .
From Frankenthal, four miles away,
there was a steady exodus of the popula-
ton in which bandaged heads and arms
in Slings were conspicuous. The village
of Edigheim was badly wrecked, and it
has not yet been possible to rescue some
of the victims who are known to be under
the debris.
At Oppau, whole families were wiped
out. about 300 bodies having already
been placed in the adjoining cemetery
awaiting burial. The Mannheim hospit-
aIs are crowded with injured. more than
400 persons having suffered from the eX-
plOsion in this city.
Several French soldiers were killed and
many wounded when the force of the OPP
pau explosion wrecked the French bar
racks at Eisenheim. A train which had
just left that station was blown off the
tracks, blowing through the wooden sheds
where French soldiers of occupation
were quartered.