Omaha daily bee., 1922-02-27
Idle NJ en-
Blamed for
DiSa a ster
Officials of Plant Near Chi.
cago Wrecked by Dynamite
Lay Responsibility on
Union Workers.
Fear Future Trouble

Chicago, Feb. 20, plotef, cause,
the Sl.0O0,000 dynamite explosion
which shook Chicago and is sub
ufbs Friday, +. NJ, perbohner
assistant state fire marshal. said
today after al all.nighl nVestisa'
ton.
SIR. Perbohner made no attempt
70 guess the plottefs' motives, but
jobles shovelers wsre blamed by
local officials at the Consumers CONF
pauy in whose quarry at McCookr
II miles southwest OF the loop, tie
explosion occurred.
I. w. Grear. resident manager,
and l.. II. Steward, master mcchan-
ic. told the Investigators that the
dynamite must have been set off by
union nen. Their co. tract with the
union expired in January. they said,
and has not been renewed. Marshal
Perbohner quoted them as saying
that either our own men did II
ior revenge. or some one was try
ing TO damage nearby plants which
Use nonunion la5or."
Fear Further Trouble.
Following the marshals asscr-
tIous, Sheriff Peters sent five men,
armed with rifles. TO McCook TO
guard against further trouble. He
said he feared fresh attempts 10 de-
stroy property.
Accidental explosion OF the so
tons OF dynamite was impossible,
according to Mr.. Perbohncr. The
explosive was stored in a remote,
heavily barred, solid magazine. II
contained little gelatin and must,
therefore. have been set off deliber-
ately.
The assistant marshal was indig-
nsnt over the fact that the msga-
zine containing enou h to rock the
whole city was not guarded.
The men who set off the eNplo-
sive were able to do so without
much difficulty, he said, because no
Watehmen were near the place.
"This is not the Consumers COM
pany's fault" he said, since the law
does not demand such precautions,
but the law should be changed
John G. Gambler, state fire mar
sllal, was to reach McCook today
and undertake formal investigation.
Damage Over Million.
4 million dollars probably will not
Cover the damage, accord,n. 10 suihr
.n,atics attempted.
The tremendous blast was felt
through an area 20 miles square, and
the damage was so widespread that
1t probably never can be reckoncd
definitely in dollars and cents.
Thousands OF windows were brok-
en-; stock was damaged in hundreds
OF stores and factories; scores Of
buildings were severly shaken; rail-
roads were obstructed, and il sleep
is worth anything at all, Chicago is
out about 100000 hours OF it.
By miraculous luck, no lives were
lost in the explosion. A theatcr audi
ence was panic stricken, Chicago
bound train just missed the down
pour of tons of rock and dirt, and
many houses came near collapsing
with their sleeping occupants, but no
one was killed.
Policeman Shot.
Indeed, the most serious personal
injury reported was only indirectly
due to the explosion. Policeman
Michael Forgan of Argo was shot
through the head and perhaps fatal
ly wounded by bandits who tried to
set past him into the Summit State
bank. a little after the blast.
The windows OF the bank had been
shattered and Forgan was keeping
All eye on the place. The bandits
drove up in an automobile and blaz-
cd away at him. He fell, but the
robbers evidently were frightened by
their own work, for they fled without
trying to enter the bank,