The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-01-16
W HITE WASH
STANDARD OIL
IN PEKIN BLAST
Expect Coroner's Jury
to Favor Rockefeller
BY TOM TIPPETT
Especial to The Daily WOrksr")

PEKIN, ILL.---In report that COM
pletely white washes the company
from blame for the fatal explosion in
the dry starch works Of the Corn Pro-
ducts Co., Plant here, Jan. 3, the in
vestigators trace the cause of the dis
aster to a hot box in motor that
someone had failed to oil for long
period Of time"
With two additional deaths on Jan.
Is, the number killed now is AZ with
II remaining victims horribly burned
in hospitals. Some of these will die,
others will be blind and otherwise
crippled for life. All but one body
has been recovered from the wreck
age. Whether it will ever be found
is matter of conjecture here. The
unidentified number 10.
The investigation into the cause of
the catastrophe was conducted by
David ]. Briee, engineer in charge of
dust explosions for the y. s. Bureau
of Chemistry, Department Of Agricul-
ture, and John c. Gambler, state fire
marshal. The word negligence is not
mentioned in their report altho it is
obvious, even from their own con-
illusions, that failure to keep motors
oiled to the extent that one of them
burnt out, in the presence of in
fammable fumes and dust, is in itself
criminal
The over heated motor, according
to the report, apparently caused
an explosion in the grinding room,
the force of which was impeded be-
cause of accommodating construction
of the glass walled building. The
main smash up occurred, the report
continues, when the flames shot thru
the conveyor to the dry starch build
ing from the grinding room and set
off the dust that completely de-
moIished the building and killed the
entire working force. This version
is exactly as was reported in The
Daily Worker, Jan 6, except that no
account was given for the original
spark.
This disaster, according to the re-
port, has taught much on the subject
of explosions. In the future, it
says, all buildings in which explosions
are liable to occur, must be built re-
mote from the safer portions of the
TlldHLa MCDG DuAlOAAlEc An0ot hcNC
walls and roofs of glass so that ex-
plosions easily break thru and spend
their force on the outside instead of
demolishing the plant as was done
here.
No mention is made in the report
of suction fans to eliminate the ex-
plosive dust and fumes, to prevent
explosions ALTOGETHER It is pointed
out by the workers at the plant, that
explosions-even in properly con-
structed buildings, that blow out glass
walls and tear off roofs at the same
time kills working men, even tho the
plant is saved from destruction.
Pans will be installed in the new
building, however, it is understood
here. No mention is made Of them
for obvious reasons. In all the reams
of material that have been printed
on the explosion here, not line APP
pears regarding suction fans altho
their absence is the first thing men
toned when workers are interviewed.
The coroner's jury, comprised of
three anti-labor newspaper repre-
sentatives, two retired farmers and a
banker will hold their inquest after
the remaining dead man has been
taken out of the wreckage or when
hopes of discovering his bits of flesh
hsve been abandoned.
The investigators, in their report,
appreciate the cooperation they re-
ceived in their work from the officials
of the company" The Corn Pro-
ducts Refining Company is a subsidi-
airy of Standard Oil.