Manchester Democrat., 1921-03-30
z DEAD, so HURT
IN CHICAGO BLAST
Big Warehouse on HaIsted
Street Destroyed by Myste-
rious Explosion.
100000 PROPERTY LOSS
Can Of Black Powder and Fragments
Of Giant Fireerackers Found in
Ruins-Fire Attorney Says
Firecrackers Caused Blast.

Chicago, March 3O.-Twelve persons
were killed and more than fifty in.
jured in an unexplained explosion In
the three-story brick warehouse at the
northeast corner Of Halsted and Bar.
ber streets. The property damage was
estimated at over $2,OOO,0OO.
Find Powder and Firecrackers.
A can of black powder and the
fragments of giant firecrackers were
found in the ruins of the blasted
warehouse, it was announced by John
Cullerton, conducting the investiga.
ton for the fire department. They
were the first clues to the cause Of
the blast.
Bodies HURLED for Yards.
The blast was so terrific it reduced
the warehouse to a hopeless mass OF
bricks and splintered timbers.
Several bodies of persons inside the
building were hurtled in fragments
for yards.
Houses and stores for two blocks
around were shaken as by an earth
quake and windows were smashed
over wider area.
Two hours after the explosion fire.
men and policemen had recovered six
bodies. They said they could see the
bodies of two girls lying under
tangle of timbers in the jumble OF
ruins.
Blast Occurs in Wing.
The warehouse, owned by Joseph
We'll & Son, was in the form of an
'L," the length of it lying along Hal
sted street, and the wing turning into
Barber street, small thOroughfare
starting at Halsted and running east.
1t was in the wing, where the office
and transfer room were located, that
the blast occurred.
Names Of Dead.
The know dead: Michael Tapins-
kie,, truck driver; Abe Goldman,
clerk; Ralph Katz; Manuel,
helper in the warehouse; William
Kolonze, assistant manager Of ware
house; two unidentified men.
The neighborhood is busy shop
ping district. Directly across from
the warehouse Is the department store
Of L. Klein and near by are number
of smaller places. '.' ...
All Of the injured, except one man,
a teamster, who crawled cut and
bleeding badly from the ruins, were
shoppers and Children in the streets.
They were showered with glass frag.
ments and bits of brick and wood.
Crowd Hampers Rescue. -
Within minute the district was In
turmoil. Five companies called by a
Ali alarm had to batter their way by
inches through a fast-forming mob OF
spectators. The first call for police
men was supplemented by orders. call
ing out reserves from all nearby sta
tions.
For two hours the rescuers were Sc
riously hampered by the jam of peo-
pie, who literally fought with the po-
lice to get sight of the disaster.
Two witnesses, Jack Rosenthal OF
7S2 Barber street and Samuel Helman.
proprietor Of paint shop near the
warehouse, told the police they saw
men running from the Barber street
wing of the warehouse moment be-
fore the explosion. Rosenthal said he
saw two men, Helman saw one, he
said.
Arrest Partner In Novelty Firm.
After an investigation into the blast,
Fire Attorney High arrested Edward
Schaeffer, partner in the firm Of Sing
er. Schaffer & Co., whose novelty
store adjoins the scene Of the blast.
The fire attorney expressed the BELIEF
that the explosion of firecrackers, or
which Schaeffer has a large quantity
stored in his basement, may have
caused the blast. Singer, the other
partner in the novelty concern, Is be-
ing sought. 1,.