Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-03-20
EXPLOSION WRECKS
CHICAGO ELEVATOR;
100000 Loss
so GREAT WAS FORCE or BLAST
THAT CONCRETE TOWERS
WE'RE SHATTERED.
NUMBER WORKERS INJURED
Heavy Damage Caused In Nearby
Towns. Where Windows Were
Broken; One Employe Known
20 Have Perlshed.
by Associated Press.

by Associated Press.
CHICAGO. Mar. i9.--An explosion
which was felt over most Of the south
side of the city. destroyed the Armour
grain elevator on the Calumet River
early tonight. Fire followed the explo.
sion. The night watchmnn. who was Ne.
riously injured. said that seven persons
might be trapped In the ruins.
Two hours after the explosion the
police reported that a careful survey
showed that one man was dead. four
were injured and four missing. All OF
the victims were workmen employed at
tho elevator.
The elevator was one of the largest
IN the world. having capacity of TO-.
900. 900 bushels. II stood In an isolated
spot In the southern outskirts OF the
city.
Tho force of the explosion. which oc.
currcd shortly after six o'clock. was No
great that Il was felt miles away and
shattered every window within ra.
hlus OF eight blocks.
The elevator. a concrete tower. was
rent asunder. releasing the grain. which
took afire. hamperlng the search for the
persons believed TO have been In the
structure nj the time of the blast.
Heavy damage was caused In nearby
towns by the explosion. Windows were
shattered In Harmon. Whiting and
East Chicago. The heaviest sufferer
was Whiting. wfrefc-ft vas reported ev.
cry window In the business district was
shattered. The property loss there. nc.
cordlng to merchants. will reach $780,.
600.
Normally about 100000 bushels OF
grain ore stored In the elevator. but
nj the time of the blast there was only
about 500 900 bushels. This was destroy.
cd by fire that ragged after the explo.
sion.
The explosion took place just after
i50 employees had quit for the day. Ac-
cording 10 one eyewitness there were
three separate explosions. The explo'
sion tore the entire top off the eleva'
tor. This was Of iight steel construc
ton. and designed 40 that In case OF an
explosion the force OF the blast would
bc srnnt through tho upper part of the
elevator--llke the mouth ~ great can
non.
SO great was the force of the blast
however. that the tower itself was shat
tered. great pieces Of concrete from its
sides being thrown IN all directions.
Early estimates put the property loss
at s6.000.000.
The elevator. which consisted of a
series Of steel and concrete towers, was
located In the southern outskirts OF the
city on the hanks Of the Calumet River,
II was built at cost of moro than
$4,000. 900. and was operated by the Ar
mour Grain Company.
The explosion was due. II was said by
officials who made an early inquiry. "a
n fire that started In n loading chute
The blaze set fire to the dust.fillcd air,
and the resulting blast rent asundcr the
big tower. releasing thousands oi
bushels of grain.
So great was the force Of the explo
sion that II hurled great concrete blocks
for hundreds Of feet and deraiied q
freight train which was standing on O
track beside the elevator The few mcr
In the elevator are thought to have
been trapped by the flood of blazlns
grain, but up until 4 late hour tonight
CONTINUED on PAGE SEVEN)