Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-20
TWO ARE MISSING
IN BALTIMORE FIRE
Many Injured as Grain EIe-
vator Explosion Starts
Blaze.
special Dispatch 70 The star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
BALTIMORE, Md, August 20.-Two
men we're unaccounted for and an
undetermined number of others were
treated for burns and injuries after
series of dust explosions had set
Western Maryland Railways grain ele-
vator at Port Covington, The blasts
blew out the upper part of wall in
one section of the building.
Twelve of the burned and injured
were taken to the South Baltimore
General Hospital. Several others, whose
hurts were less serious, were treated on
the scene of the fire. The injured in
cluded both white men and colored, who
were at work In or on the elevator when
the explosions occurred.
Injured Lowered by Sings.
Some of them were at the top of the
structure, which is about $50 feet high.
Those who were not burned or injured
climbed down the sides of the building
and the injured we're later lowered
down in sings by the Fire Department
rescue squad.
The elevator stands in two sections
which are linked by pair of frame
bridges. One of these spans was shat
tered by the explosions and fell, drop
ping with it. it is believed. several
workers who were running for safety.
The other span was damaged but
bore I'D,
A report spread in the fire zone was
that witnesses had seen one man blown
into the harbor. Another told of seeing
three men blown through windows and
hurled about 20 feet from the elevator.
Police put out in a boat to search for
the man reported to have landed in
the harbor and two police boats
churned the water up to bring to the
surface any body that might be in it.
The elevator stands in a field near
Charles and Cromwell streets. Its two
sections are known as the No l and
No. elevators. The No. l section, in
which the explosions occurred, is a
tall rectangular structure whose back
is very close to the harbor's edge.
Workers said that at this season of the
year about 80 or 40 men are generally
occupied in the No. section.
Men Hit by Flying Concrete.
Some of the men were knocked down
and suffered broken bones from flying
chunks of concrete as they ran from
the lower levels of the burning build
ing. One mans clothing was afire. rs
he emerged into the open. He cut it
on with penknife.
A total OF 100000 bushels OF grain
was stored in the No. l section of the
elevator but it is believed to be safe.
The explosions and the fire centered
in the upper levels of the section, some
distance above the grain storage bins.
Four alarms, turned in shortly after
the explosions, summoned not merely
strong fire fighting force, but a feet
of ambulances to the scene. Police re-
Inducements were sent to the scene to
help handle the crowd in the fire zone.
Joseph Bell, car inspector, whose
home is at Fullerton, Md, said he was
standing in freight car some distance
from the elevator when the wall was
heaved out. The conclusion, Bell said,
threw him backward out of the freight
car. He arose and hurried toward the
elevator, meeting number of injured
or burned men, whom he took to the
South Baltimore General Hospital in his
automobile.
One of the two missing men is Charles
Hammill, white, and the other is Sylvan
Jordan, colored.