Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-03
Explosion Near Philadelphia,
Felt Many Miles, Does
Much Damage Workers
Jared Half Mile Away.
SERIES OF DECORATIONS
KEEP RESCUERS AWAY
Little Girls Playing Outside Fac
tory Among Misunderstanding
Automobiles Blown From Street.
Town of Devon Thrown in Up
roar by Tragedy.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, April 3.-Eight
persons were killed and scores OF
others injured in a series of ex-
plosionS today at the plant OF
the Pennsylvania Fireworks Dis
play Co., Inc, at Devon, Is miles
west of Philadelphia. About 81
injured persons were taken to the
Bryn Mawr Hospital.
A number of bodies were found
in the debris of the wrecked plant
and search was continued for
others.
Fire companies from many OF
the suburban towns rushed to the
scene of the blast and gave first
aid to injured and used all sorts
of vehicles to rush the injured
to the hospital.
The explosion was so terrific that it
was felt and heard for many miles.
Much damage was caused in the imme-
date vicinity by the blast.
Damages Another Plant.
Automobiles that were passing the
plant at the time were said to have
been thrown from the road.
The plant of Benjamin 7. Dentner, a
short distance from the scene of the
explosion, where 200 persons were en-
ployed, was partly wrecked as large
pieces OF flying debris rained down on
the building.
When the first firemen arrived con-
tinued explosions in the plant prevented
them from going close to the place.
Workmen in a switchtower of the
Pennsylvania Railroad at Devon, nearly
half-mils away, were thrown to the
floor by the blast.
Town Thrown in Uproar.
The town of Devon, which is in the
midst of the fashionable suburban area
west of Philadelphia, was in an uproar
as one explosion followed another,
breaking window glass and causing other
damage.
An emergency call was sent to the
Valley Forge Military Academy, at
Devon, and Maj. Milton G. Baker, head
at the academy, led the schools entire
personnel of $50 cadets to the scene.
They formed a guard around the plant
ana assisted In restoring order.
Most of the dead and injured were
employees of the plant. Three of the
dead were women. Two little girls, sis
tiers, f1remen said, were killed at play
outside the plant. Other bodies were
found in the debris. They were badly
burned.
Covered Seven Acres.
The plant consisted of 10 small
buildings on a seven-acre tract of land
near the Pennsylvania Railroads main
line to the West.
Like a roar of battery of artillery
the first explosion let loose at about
$50, sending debris through the air
for long distances. Two other detona
tons followed Immediately, and for 20
minutes there were explosions like the
rattle of machine guns. The heavy de-
donations we're felt more than 20 miles
away. The blasts were distinctly felt in
the upper part of Philadelphia and in
New Jersey.
Many windows in Pennsylvania
Railroad local train at Devon Station
were broken and some of the passen-
gers were cut by glass. They were
treated and sent to their homes. After
the explosion hundreds of persons
crowded the four tracks of the railroad.
Cadets went on duty patroling the rail-
road and, equipped with improvised
flags, were sent up and down the rail-
road to caution train crews of the
danger from persons running on the
right of way.